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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Kearneysville, West Virginia » Appalachian Fruit Research Laboratory » Innovative Fruit Production, Improvement, and Protection » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356309
Title: Seasonal response of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) adults to light bulbs

Author
item CHAMBERS, BENJAMIN - Virginia Tech
item Leskey, Tracy
item PEARCE, ANNIE - Virginia Tech
item KUHAR, THOMAS - Virginia Tech

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/27/2018
Publication Date: 11/27/2018
Citation: Chambers, B.D., Leskey, T.C., Pearce, A.R., Kuhar, T.P. 2018. Seasonal response of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) adults to light bulbs. Journal of Agricultural and Urban Entomology. 33:44-49. https://doi.org/10.3954/1523-5475-34.1.44.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3954/1523-5475-34.1.44

Interpretive Summary: Brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys Stål (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), adults were tested for their movement toward light over the seasons. Adult H. halys were taken from the field in August and October, and from overwintering shelters in December and April. In the afternoon and again at night, bugs were placed on wooden dowels with a lit bulb at one end in a darkened room, and recorded as having moved towards (positive phototaxis) or away from the bulb (positive or negative phototaxis). Bugs showed exhibited positive phototaxis in response to daylight bulbs in August, October, and April afternoons and April nights, and in response to soft white bulbs in August and April afternoons. There was no significant response to light during the month of December in any of the experiments. This suggests a seasonal difference in phototaxis, with a lack of response to light in the winter months.

Technical Abstract: The brown marmorated stink bug is a serious nuisance pest for homeowners. We evaluated their response to common light bulbs through the late summer, fall, winter and springtime months when adults. We found that adults did respond to light and move toward light sources in the late summer, fall and spring, but were less responsive during the month of December indicating they may be less photosensitive at that time of the season as this the point when adults have recently entered overwintering.