Relationship Between Stink Bug Populations in Winter Shelters and Atmospheric Variables in Soybean Growing Areas in Southern Brazil

Abstract

Stink bugs (Pentatomidae) are among the main entomological problems in the international farming. Their ability in using alternative plants (refuges) during the off-season is one of the reasons that led them to the status of key pests in several crops. Like other insect species, stink bugs are subject to atmospheric variations. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to evaluate the abundance, the co-occurrence, and its variations according to the weather in the off-season. The work was conducted between 2014 and 2018, in the municipality of Cruz Alta, state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil. Every year, refuges formed by Poaceae and located around the cropped area were evaluated in the second fortnight of June, corresponding to the beginning of the winter solstice. Atmospheric variables corresponding to the evaluation period were used to explain the variation in the populations. In short, our results demonstrated interannual variations in the population abundance of stink bugs in the evaluated refuges. We also found variations in the co-occurrence between species. Finally, we demonstrate the trend in the increase in these refuges in years with cold and dry off-seasons.

The stink bug Dichelops furcatus: a new pest of corn that emerges from soybean stubble

“…9,[12][13][14][15][16] Besides, D. melacanthus and E. heros have become corn pests in tropical areas of Brazil, 17 while D. furcatus has become a pest of corn in temperate and subtropical areas both in Brazil and Argentina. [18][19][20] No-tillage agriculture leaves crop residues on the field that do not disturb the soil, while mitigating erosion and even favoring organisms associated with crop stubble and soil conservation. In temperate regions, D. furcatus uses the crop stubble for shelter in unfavorable conditions, even as a cover against insecticides.…”

“…In Argentina, P. guildinii , N. viridula and D. furcatus are the most important soybean pests 9,12–16 . Besides, D. melacanthus and E. heros have become corn pests in tropical areas of Brazil, 17 while D. furcatus has become a pest of corn in temperate and subtropical areas both in Brazil and Argentina 18–20 . No‐tillage agriculture leaves crop residues on the field that do not disturb the soil, while mitigating erosion and even favoring organisms associated with crop stubble and soil conservation.…”

Population density, spatial patterns and sample size of Edessa meditabunda (F., 1794) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on alternative plants during soybean off-season in southern Brazil

“…The determining factor for the adaptive success of the stink bugs is the ability to switch hosts across the landscape (Fuentes-Rodríguez et al 2019;Engel et al 2020). This behavior is mainly caused by the perception of unfavorable conditions such as low air temperatures, shorter photoperiod and lack of food.…”

“…This behavior is mainly caused by the perception of unfavorable conditions such as low air temperatures, shorter photoperiod and lack of food. Hence, stink bugs seek shelters that offer stable microclimate for survival during their quiescent period (Klein et al 2013;Engel et al 2020).…”

“…These plants are native to the Americas and are widely distributed throughout the Neotropical region (Klein et al 2013). Despite the record of the occurrence of E. meditabunda in these plants at the edges of the cultivationareas (Engel et al 2020), no study has focused on its spatial distribution in southern Brazil.…”