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Title: Trap capture of brown and dusky stink bugs (Hempitera: Pentatomidae) as affected by pheromone dosage in dispensers and dispenser source

Author
item Cottrell, Ted
item HORTON, DAN - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: Journal of Entomological Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/20/2010
Publication Date: 4/6/2011
Citation: Cottrell, T.E., Horton, D. 2011. Trap capture of brown and dusky stink bugs (Hempitera: Pentatomidae) as affected by pheromone dosage in dispensers and dispenser source. Journal of Entomological Science. 46(2):135-147.

Interpretive Summary: Brown and dusky stink bugs are pests of orchard and row crops and these two stink bugs respond to traps baited with an aggregation pheromone. We examined the magnitude of the response of the brown and dusky stink bugs in the field to different doses (20 to 120 µl) of the aggregation pheromone loaded onto pheromone dispensers and to two commercially available dispensers by recording brown and dusky stink bug capture in yellow pyramid traps. These baited traps were located in pecan orchards or along wooded areas and were monitored weekly for four weeks during 2008 and 2009. During the study, dispensers were replaced weekly or the same dispenser remained in the trap for the entire study. Results showed that a lure, loaded with any pheromone dose (e.g., 20 to 120 µl), resulted in a numerical increase of both brown and dusky stink bugs captured in traps compared with traps using a blank dispenser. In each experiment for each stink bug species, at least one pheromone dose significantly increased trap capture compared with traps using the blank dispenser. In direct comparisons, neither commercial dispenser ever captured significantly more brown or dusky stink bugs than traps baited with the blank dispenser. A higher pheromone dose in a dispenser indicated a trend of numerically higher trap capture but a difference was not always significantly higher for either species likely indicating that other factors affected stink bug capture in pheromone-baited traps. Knowing how pheromone dose in dispensers affects capture of stink bugs in traps will facilitate the use of these traps as a barrier to prevent stink bugs from entering orchards or crop fields.

Technical Abstract: The brown, Euschistus servus (Say), and dusky, E. tristigmus (Say), stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) readily respond to traps baited with the Euschistus spp. aggregation pheromone methyl (2E, 4Z)-decadienoate. Previous studies examining trap capture of these stink bugs have used either laboratory prepared dispensers or commercial dispensers with various known and unknown pheromone doses applied to lures. We examined the response of E. servus and E. tristigmus in the field to different doses (20 to 120 µl) of the aggregation pheromone loaded onto rubber septa and to two commercially available dispensers by recording E. servus and E. tristigmus capture in yellow pyramid traps. These baited traps were located in pecan orchards or along wooded areas and were monitored weekly for four weeks during 2008 and 2009. During the study, dispensers were replaced weekly or the same dispenser remained in the trap for the entire study. Results showed that a lure, loaded with any pheromone dose (e.g., 20 to 120 µl), resulted in a numerical increase of both E. servus and E. tristigmus captured in traps compared with traps using the 0 µl lure. In each experiment for each species, at least one pheromone dose significantly increased trap capture compared with traps using the blank lure. In direct comparisons, neither commercial dispenser ever captured significantly more E. servus or E. tristigmus than traps baited with the 0 µl lure. A higher pheromone dose in a dispenser indicated a trend of numerically higher trap capture but a difference was not always significantly higher for either species likely indicating that other factors affected stink bug capture in pheromone-baited traps.