Submitted to: Journal of Entomological Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/26/2016
Publication Date: 7/1/2016
Citation: Ni, X., Cottrell, T.E., Toews, M.D., Tillman, P.G., Buntin, G.D. 2016. Diurnal activities of the brown stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in and near tasseling corn fields. Journal of Entomological Science. 51(3):226-337.

Interpretive Summary: The demand for effective management of brown stink bug damage in corn and other crops has been increasing in recent years. To identify when and where the stink bugs are most likely to occur for targeted insecticide application, diurnal activities of stink bugs in and near the fields of tasseling corn plants were monitored using pheromone traps. Trap catch of the brown stink bugs in the corn field showed that the number of females was greater at corn field edges than the interior, but there was no difference in male catch between the edge and interior. Stink bug dispersal within corn fields was further monitored using a mark-release-recatch technique, but the technique was not effective because only one of 158 marked individuals were recovered in a pheromone trap. The monitoring of the brown stink bugs near the tasseling corn fields showed that more females were caught in pheromone traps in early mornings and evenings was greater than that in mid-afternoons. Within each sampling time across the 6-d monitoring period, total number and number of each sex caught in early mornings were greater on the first 2 d when compared to the remaining 4-d monitoring period. The findings from this research indicated that insecticide spray can be used to target the active migration time post harvest of winter grains in a corn field in either early mornings or the evenings, and the insecticide spray can purposely target the edges of a corn field.

Technical Abstract: The demand for effective management of the brown stink bug, Euschistus servus, in corn and other crops has been increasing in recent years. To identify when and where the stink bugs are most likely to occur for targeted insecticide application, diurnal activities of stink bugs in and near the fields of tasseling corn plants were monitored using pheromone traps. Trap catch of the brown stink bugs in the corn field showed that the number of females was greater at corn field edges than the interior, but there was no difference in male catch between the edge and interior. Stink bug dispersal within corn fields was further monitored using a mark-release-recatch technique, but the technique was not effective because only one of 158 marked individuals were recovered in a pheromone trap. To further understand the movement pattern among host plants, brown stink bugs were monitored continuously for 6 d near the tasseling corn fields using the pheromone traps. The number of females caught in pheromone traps near the corn fields in early mornings and evenings was greater than that in the mid-afternoon. Within each sampling time across the 6-d monitoring period, total number and number of each sex caught in early mornings were greater on the first 2 d when compared to the remaining 4-d monitoring period. The implications of the findings for brown stink bug management are discussed.