Sap sucking heteropteran cereal bugs—members of the Eurygaster and Aelia genus—are serious pests of wheat. Moreover, they feed on a variety of gramineous plant species, including rye, barley, oat, maize, and millet. They are widely distributed in the European continent. The purpose of this review paper is two-fold; it summarizes the currently available data on the biological characteristics, the inflicted damage, and their European distribution and, in addition, we aimed to determine their economic importance, based on data available in the current literature. For the most important cereal bug species, we have collected data on their occurrence in Europe to provide a comprehensive picture of their distribution, and characterized them according to their temperature requirements at different life stages. We have also determined the degree of their attachment to wheat as their host plant, examining the synchronization between the pests and the life cycle of the plant. Finally, we compared their migration characteristics. All the above-mentioned characteristics were merged, in order to assess and rank the damage potential of each species.

Qualitative and quantitative parameters of tomatoes are impaired by Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), which cause severe economic losses worldwide. Our aims were to assess H. halys-induced tissue damage in tomatoes via computer tomography and to confirm the results of imaging obtained by analytical methods. Our examination confirmed the intensification of the change in the inner structure of damaged tomatoes as a function of time. The tendency of this destruction triggered by bug saliva grew exponentially from the exocarp layer to the inner placenta. The destruction of the plant tissue was aggravated by an increase in the number of bugs, as it was unequivocally evinced by the shell thickness assays. The results of the assessment of the antioxidant capacity of tomato mesocarp showed a distinct decrease in the antioxidant capacity of the samples obtained from H. halys-infested tomatoes. This indicates that the ferric-reducing antioxidant power value was related to the degradation processes of the mesocarp tissue in tomato fruit caused by the watery saliva released by H. halys. The presented experimental method can be suitable for the qualitative control of the vegetable items intended for trade, which can help for the isolation of tomatoes damaged by bugs immediately after harvest.

The granary weevil, Sitophilus granarius (L.), is considered a serious pest in stored grain worldwide. As residual-based protection possibilities become scarcer, the development of eco-friendly control technologies that can be implemented in practice is becoming urgent. In this spirit, our objective was to assess the effectiveness of different levels of atmospheric cooling against S. granarius under laboratory conditions. We also analysed the effects of cooling on progeny generation and the viability of treated wheat. Thus, we investigated the consequences of atmospheric exposures to temperatures of −5, −10, −15, −20, and −25 °C for 60, 75, and 90 min on these factors, and also explored the effects of nearby ranges using extrapolation. The viability of the treated wheat embryo was analysed using a TTC test. Our results showed that the highest efficacy was observed at an atmospheric cooling temperature of −25 °C (with a parallel recorded temperature of −10.5 °C in the stored grains zone), with a 90 min exposure at suboptimal relative humidity (40%). At 60% relative humidity, the mortality averages were more dispersed, and the expected efficiencies above 95% occurred at longer exposures. The post-suppressive effect of cooling can be confirmed in all three exposures. The different cooling temperatures of the tested exposure times did not produce any appreciable changes in the viability of treated wheat embryos. In conclusion, our results show that the use of atmospheric cooling can be an effective solution for stored product protection.

This study was carried out on the effects of different exposures of UV-C irradiation (253.2 nm) (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mins) on the mortality of stored product pests: Sitophilus granarius L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) as a primary pest, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Col.: Tenebrionidae) and Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) (Col.: Laemophloeidae) and Oryzaephilus surinamensis (Ganglbauer) (Col.: Silvanidae) as secondary pests. Besides, the viability of treated maize and wheat seed items influenced by UV-C irradiation was analysed by tetrazolium test. Our results confirmed the treatment that leads to total mortality is inversely proportional to the exposure to UV-C radiation. The time of total mortality during the post-treatment period as a function of radiation exposure can be characterised by a power-like trend line for each examined insect species. Our results confirmed the insecticidal efficacy and the sensitivity of pest species with different ecological functions to UV-C irradiation. The primary species in the crop treated by shorter exposure (10 mins of UV-C at a distance of 22 cm) may prevent the introduction of secondary stored product pests enter later. The tetrazolium test showed that the wheat seeds were more sensitive to this physical stress than maize seeds in a similar condition. Values of the recorded viabilities fluctuated highly. The effects of UV radiation on treated wheat and maize seeds are somewhat controversial. However, this pest elimination technique is primarily recommended in environments exempt from viable stored seeds because the intactness of treated seeds cannot be demonstrated.