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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Genetics and Breeding Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #342663
Title: Monitoring of brown stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) population dynamics in corn to predict its abundance using weather data

Author
item Ni, Xinzhi
item Cottrell, Ted
item BUNTIN, G. DAVID - University Of Georgia
item LI, XIANCHUN - University Of Arizona
item WANG, WEI - China Agricultural University
item Zhuang, Hong

Submitted to: Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/24/2017
Publication Date: 6/1/2019
Citation: Ni, X., Cottrell, T.E., Buntin, G., Li, X., Wang, W., Zhuang, H. 2019. Monitoring of brown stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) population dynamics in corn to predict its abundance using weather data. Insect Science. 26:536-544.

Interpretive Summary: The brown stink bug has become a serious economic pest of corn production in the Southeastern U. S. as transgenic corn and cotton acreage steadily increases in the last decade. From 2005 to 2009, brown stink bug population dynamics was monitored from late May to mid-September for 17 weeks (or from tasseling to pre-harvest of corn plants) using the stink bug pheromone traps in three corn fields each year near Tifton, Georgia. The two peaks of trap catch of the brown stink bugs occurred in early June and mid-August, respectively. The trap catch of the stink bugs and pre-growing season weather data was correlated. Regression analysis showed that the seasonal abundance was negatively related to the high temperature consistently, whereas the first peak of the stink bug catch was positively related to both accumulated rain fall and subzero days, irrespective of weather data durations (using the first 4, 4.5 and 5 months). In contrast, the second peak catch and the weeks when the peaks occurred were not correlated to any of the weather data indices. The findings from this study demonstrated that the weather data can be used to predict and guide management of the brown stink bugs at its first peak in corn in the southeastern U.S. states.

Technical Abstract: The brown stink bug (BSB), Euschistus servus (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a serious economic pest of corn production in the Southeastern U. S. The BSB population dynamics was monitored for 17 wks from tasseling to pre-harvest of corn plants (i.e., late May to mid-September) using pheromone traps in three corn fields from 2005 to 2009. The trap data showed two peaks in early June and mid-August, respectively. The relationship between trap catch and pre-growing season weather data was examined using correlation and stepwise multiple factor regression analyses. Weather indices used for the analyses were accumulated growing degree day (AGDD), number of days with minimum temperature below 0 °C (Subz), accumulated daily maximum (AMaxT) and minimum temperatures (AMinT) and rainfall (ARain). The weather indices were calculated with lower (10 °C) and upper (35 °C) as biological thresholds. Trap catch parameters used in regression analysis were: weekly BSB mean (BSBm), the number of BSB caught at a peak (PeakBSB), and the week when a peak was recorded (Peakwk). The seasonal abundance (BSBm) was negatively related to the high temperature (AmaxT or AGDD) consistently, whereas the first PeakBSB was positively related to both accumulated rain fall and subzero days, irrespective of weather data durations (the first 4, 4.5 and 5 months). In contrast, the second peak and the Peakwk were not correlated to any of the weather data indices. The weather data can be used to predict and guide management of the BSB at its first peak in corn in the southeastern U.S. states.