Assessment of sugarberry as a host tree of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in southeastern USA agroecosystems

Abstract

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is an invasive, polyphagous pest known to disperse between non-crop host plants and crops searching for food. Sugarberry (Celtis laevigata Willdenow; Cannabaceae) is commonly found in woodland habitats in the southeastern USA and may serve as a non-crop host for H. halys. Therefore, the main objective of this two-year study was to determine if 1) sugarberry serves as a host tree and 2) whether natural enemies attack H. halys sentinel egg masses in the tree canopy. We monitored H. halys in sugarberry trees in woodlands bordering field crops in Prattville, Alabama during 2022 and similarly for orchard crops in Byron, Georgia during 2023. Each year pheromone-baited stink bug traps were deployed in the canopy of trees to capture H. halys. We evaluated parasitism and predation of H. halys by placing sentinel egg masses in tree canopies. H. halys males and females and 2nd through 5th instars were captured in tree traps over the season for each location. Trissolcus euschisti (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) was the only parasitoid species that emerged from H. halys eggs. Chewing and stylet sucking were the primary types of predation on sentinel egg masses. We conclude that sugarberry is a reproductive host for H. halys, and native natural enemies provide biological control services of H. halys eggs on this host.