Natural enemy impact on the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), in organic agroecosystems: A regional assessment

Authors: OGBURN, EMILY - North Carolina State University; BESSIN, RICARDO - University Of Kentucky; DIECKHOFF, CHRISTINE - University Of Delaware; DOBSON, RACHELYN - University Of Kentucky; GRIESHOP, MATTHEW - Michigan State University; Hoelmer, Kim; MATHEWS, CLARISSA - Shepherd University; MOORE, JENNIFER - University Of Tennessee; NIELSEN, ANNE - Rutgers University; POLEY, KRISTIN - Michigan State University; POTE, JOHN - Rutgers University; ROGERS, MARY - University Of Minnesota; WELTY, CELESTE - The Ohio State University; WALGENBACH, JAMES - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: Biological Control
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/13/2016
Publication Date: 6/17/2016
Citation: Ogburn, E.C., Bessin, R., Dieckhoff, C., Dobson, R., Grieshop, M., Hoelmer, K.A., Mathews, C., Moore, J., Nielsen, A.L., Poley, K., Pote, J.M., Rogers, M., Welty, C., Walgenbach, J.F. 2016. Natural enemy impact on the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), in organic agroecosystems: A regional assessment. Biological Control. 101:39-51.

Interpretive Summary: The invasive Asian brown marmorated stink bug has become a key pest of numerous fruit, vegetable and field crops since its introduction into North America. A team of researchers from ARS and nine Universities assessed mortality of stink bug eggs due to natural enemies in a two-year study in eastern US organic and conventionally managed agroecosystems. Predation and parasitism rates of stink bug eggs were influenced by local landscape factors and crop species. Fewer stink bug eggs hatched in organic versus conventionally managed crops due to higher percentages of predation. Mortality from natural enemies varied among states and crops, but was low overall, with average maximum levels of biological control of about 20% in 2013 and 2014, mostly due to predatory insects. Parasitism of by native parasitoids was very low, and our data serves as a baseline for measuring impacts of potential future classical biological control programs, as well as potential adaptation of native parasitoids. Parasitism is an important population regulation factor in the stink bug’s natural Asian range, but parasitoid wasps native to eastern US agroecosystems do not provide this service in the introduced region. The greatest potential for effective area-wide management of the stink bug may be via classical biological control by its Asian parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus, which was recently detected in both the eastern and western US.

Technical Abstract: Understanding natural enemy impacts on the invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), gives insight into the population dynamics of this invasive pest and the potential for biological control. This two-year study provides a broad-scale assessment of mortality factors affecting sentinel and naturally laid H. halys eggs in organic and conventionally managed agroecosystems in the pest’s invaded range in eastern North America. Predation and parasitism rates of H. halys eggs were influenced by local landscape factors and plant composition. Rates varied among states and crops, but overall were low. Average maximum levels of biological control were estimated to be about 22.8 and 19.7% in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Of the eggs destroyed by natural enemies, chewing predation was the most prevalent. Parasitism by native parasitoids was very low, with adult parasitoids emerging from <1% of eggs; an additional 2.6% of eggs contained partially developed parasitoids. Lower percentages of sentinel H. halys hatched in all organically versus conventionally managed crops, and in most cases had higher percentages of predation. Parasitism of eggs of the native stink bugs Euschistus servus (Say) and Chinavia hilare (Say) averaged 46.1% and 1.1%, respectively, across locations and years. Telenomus podisi (Ashmead) was the most common parasitoid parasitizing E. servus and H. halys eggs, but rarely did >1 individual parasitoid emerge from a H. halys egg mass. Parasitism of H. halys eggs by a complex of parasitoids is an important population regulation factor in its native Asian range, but parasitoids native to eastern US agroecosystems do not provide that service in this introduced region. The greatest potential for biological control of H. halys may be via classical biological control by the Asian parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead), which has recently been detected in both the eastern and western US.