Border habitat effects on captures of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in pheromone traps and fruit injury at harvest in apple and peach orchards in the Mid-Atlantic, USA

Authors: BERGH, J. CHRISTOPHER - Virginia Tech; Morrison, William - Rob; STALLRICH, JON - North Carolina State University; SHORT, BRENT - Trece, Inc; Cullum, John; Leskey, Tracy

Submitted to: Insects
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/5/2021
Publication Date: 5/8/2021
Citation: Bergh, J., Morrison III, W.R., Stallrich, J.W., Short, B.D., Cullum, J.P., Leskey, T.C. 2021. Border habitat effects on captures of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in pheromone traps and fruit injury at harvest in apple and peach orchards in the Mid-Atlantic, USA. Insects. 12(5):419. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12050419.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12050419

Interpretive Summary: Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is a significant threat to specialty crop production and international shipping in much of the USA and abroad. Its feeding causes injury that reduces crop quality and yield. BMSB invades fields from adjoining habitats, including woodlands, and is considered a perimeter-driven threat. Thus, research on alternative management tactics has focused on intervention at crop edges. Woodlands are generally considered the riskiest habitat bordering crop fields, and pheromone trap-based monitoring of BMSB has typically focused on the crop-woodland interface. However, along with woodlands, orchards in the Mid-Atlantic USA are typically also bordered by other habitats on one or more sides, including other tree fruit blocks and field crops, among others. The relative effect of woodlands and other habitats bordering orchards on BMSB captures and crop injury at harvest has not been systematically compared. In a two-year study in Mid-Atlantic apple and peach orchards, our work confirmed that BMSB captures and fruit injury were highest at edges bordering woodlands, indicating that wooded habitats are the riskiest, but we also found that other border habitats contributed significantly to captures and injury in some instances. We found captures of adults were the greatest predictors of injury in apple, while captures of nymphs were the greatest predictors of injury in peach. These results can inform the refinement of perimeter-based behaviorally-based management tactics for BMSB.

Technical Abstract: The invasive Halyomorpha halys invades specialty crop fields from various bordering habitats, and its feeding on crops has caused significant economic losses. Thus, H. halys is considered a perimeter-driven threat, and research on alternative management tactics against it has focused on intervention at crop edges. Woodlands adjacent to crop fields contain many wild hosts of H. halys and are therefore considered riskiest in terms of pest pressure and crop injury. However, tree fruit orchards in the Mid-Atlantic USA are often bordered on one or more sides by woodlands and other habitats, including other tree fruit blocks, and field crops, among others. Monitoring H. halys using pheromone traps has most often focused on the crop-woodland interface, but the relative effects of woodlands and other habitats bordering orchards on pest pressure and crop injury have not been examined. A two-year study comparing seasonal captures of H halys and fruit injury among different habitats bordering commercial apple and peach orchards revealed that while woodland borders often posed the greatest risk, other border habitats also contributed significantly to these effects in numerous instances. The relevance of these findings to refining and optimizing perimeter-based monitoring and management approaches for H. halys is discussed.