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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Byron, Georgia » Fruit and Tree Nut Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #299566
Title: Managing black pecan aphids and stink bugs

Author
item Cottrell, Ted
item REE, WILLIAM - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Southeastern Pecan Growers Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/26/2012
Publication Date: 2/26/2012
Citation: Cottrell, T.E., Ree, W. 2012. Managing black pecan aphids and stink bugs. Southeastern Pecan Growers Meeting Proceedings. sepga.com/presentations/2012-presentations/.

Interpretive Summary: The black pecan aphid and stink bugs are serious threats to pecan production later in the season. Feeding injury to pecan leaves by the black pecan aphid usually causes economic injury through decreased yield and quality of the pecan crop, depletion of chlorophyll and carbohydrates, decreased leaf area and leaf photosynthesis and defoliation. Stink bugs, including the brown stink bug, feeding on pecan can cause nut abortion when feeding before shells harden. After pecan shells harden, feeding injury causes lesions on kernels that must be culled during processing. Results from field trials testing clothianidin, pymetrozine, spirotetramat or bifenthrin found that these materials provided good control of black pecan aphid. When various insecticides were tested against the brown stink bug, bifenthrin provided better control with longer residual activity than other pyrethroids tested.

Technical Abstract: The black pecan aphid (Melanocallis caryafoliae) and stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are serious threats to late season pecan production. Feeding injury by the black pecan aphid to pecan foliage can result in economic injury through decreased yield and quality of the pecan crop, depletion of chlorophyll and carbohydrates, decreased leaf area and leaf photosynthesis and defoliation. Stink bugs, including the brown stink bug, Euschistus servus, feeding on pecan can cause nut abortion when feeding before shells harden. After pecan shells harden, feeding injury causes lesions on kernels that must be culled during processing. Treatment applications of clothianidin, pymetrozine, spirotetramat or bifenthrin provided good control of black pecan aphid and preservation of foliage. Treatment applications of various insecticides against the brown stink bug revealed that bifenthrin provided better control with longer residual activity than other pyrethroids tested.