Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on Kiwifruit in Northern Italy: Phenology, Infestation, and Natural Enemies Assessment

Abstract

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is an Asian invasive plant-feeding insect and an emerging kiwifruit pest. Knowledge about the BMSB dynamics and damage to kiwifruit outside the bug native range is scarce. This 2-yr study was aimed at describing phenology and infestation dynamics of BMSB in green-fleshed and yellow-fleshed kiwifruits. Natural enemies were investigated as well. Field surveys were performed weekly in two sites in Northern Italy by pheromone-baited traps and visual samplings, from early Spring to mid-Autumn. All BMSB life stages were collected and kept under observation to assess occurrence of parasitoids. A sample of fruit was dissected weekly to detect BMSB feeding injuries. In 2018–2019, BMSB was found throughout the growing season with two generations per year with a large overlapping of all life stages. Pheromone-baited traps and visual samplings gave consistent results and can be both considered effective sampling methods on kiwifruit. Fruit injuries were significantly related to kiwifruit development stage, weekly captures of BMSBs by traps, and cultivar. Several BMSB egg masses were found on kiwifruit leaves. Anastatus bifasciatus Geoffroy (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), a native egg parasitoid with Palearctic distribution, emerged from 20.14% of eggs in 2018, but the percent parasitism dropped to 0.47% in 2019. In both years, other natural enemies were found exerting negligible pressure on BMSB populations. The determination of reliable economic thresholds for BMSB on kiwifruit is urgently needed to develop a robust and sustainable integrated pest management (IPM) strategy, and this study provides data towards that direction.

To Every Thing There Is a Season: Phenology and Photoperiodic Control of Seasonal Development in the Invasive Caucasian Population of the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)

“…Recently H. halys was recorded on the northern coast of the Black Sea: in Abkhazia and the Krasnodar Territory of Russia [ 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. The phenology and seasonal cycle of H. halys have been studied in various regions [ 4 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ]. It is known that although the brown marmorated stink bug is potentially multivoltine, within its native range in China, Korea, and Japan, it produces only one or two generations per year.…”

The Preliminary Study on the Biology of An Invasive Species, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Northwest Türkiye

“…For instance, in the mid-Atlantic region in 2010, the invasive species caused $37 million in damage to apples alone, as well as losses of up to 100% in peaches in various states (Polk, 2011;Leskey et al, 2012), and significant damage to various vegetable crops (Kuhar et al, 2012), soybean (Nielsen et al, 2011;Owens et al, 2013), and other crops (Basnet et al 2014;Rice et al 2014;Basnet et al 2015). In Europe, it soon became the main pest of orchards after its detection (Maistrello et al, 2017), particularly in pear (Bariselli et al, 2016), peach (Pansa et al, 2013;Damos et al, 2020), kiwifruit (Francati et al, 2021), andcherry (Moore et al, 2019). BMSB has become an international concern because it has caused significant damage in USA, Italy, and Georgia, particularly in hazelnut production (Bosco et al, 2018;Murvanidze et al, 2018;Ozdemir and Tuncer, 2021).…”

Improved Captures of the Invasive Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Halyomorpha halys, Using a Novel Multimodal Trap

“…The brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is native to Asia and is now widespread in each continent of the Northern Hemisphere [ 11 ]. Its host range includes more than 275 plant species [ 12 ], and, in the areas where it has established, it is causing significant agricultural losses [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. The first detection in Italy occurred in 2012 in Emilia-Romagna (northern Italy) with more than 50% damage in early maturing pear cultivars being reported [ 16 ].…”