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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #326679
Title: Attraction of stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) nymphs to Euschistus aggregation pheromone in the field

Author
item Tillman, Patricia - Glynn
item Cottrell, Ted

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/20/2016
Publication Date: 12/1/2016
Citation: Tillman, P.G., Cottrell, T.E. 2016. Attraction of stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) nymphs to Euschistus aggregation pheromone in the field. Florida Entomologist. 99:678-682.

Interpretive Summary: Stink bugs are primary pests in most fruit, vegetable, grain, and row crops worldwide. Compounds produced by male stink bugs are attractive to adults of these pests. These attractive compounds, or pheromones, have been identified and synthesized for several species of economically important stink bug pests. Yellow pyramid traps baited with these pheromones capture more stink bug adults than traps without these compounds. Our specific objective for this study was to examine the attractiveness of the brown stink bug pheromone to stink bug nymphs (or immatures) using yellow pyramid traps baited and not baited with the pheromone in peanut fields and alongside pecan and peach orchards. Capture of nymphs of three species of stink bugs was higher in traps with the pheromone than in unbaited traps demonstrating that these nymphs were attracted to the pheromone. Pyramid traps baited with pheromone can be used as monitoring tools to assess the presence and seasonal development of certain stink bug pest species on crops and perhaps to predict timing of dispersal into and/or out of crops.

Technical Abstract: Phytophagous stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are primary pests in most fruit, vegetable, grain, and row crops worldwide. Pheromones have been identified and synthesized for several species of economically important stink bug pests. When yellow pyramid traps are baited with lures containing these pheromones, significantly more stink bug adults are captured in the field than without lures. Our specific objective for this study was to examine the attractiveness of the Euschistus spp. aggregation pheromone, methyl (E,Z)-2,4-decadienoate (MDD), to stink bug nymphs using yellow pyramid traps baited and not baited with MDD lures in peanut fields and alongside pecan and peach orchards. At orchard locations, captured nymphs were predominantly Euschistus servus (Say) followed by E. tristigmus (Say), E. ictericus (L.), and Thyanta custator custator (F.). In peanut, E. servus, E. tristigmus, and Chinavia hilaris (Say) nymphs were caught in traps. Nymphal capture of E. servus, E. tristigmus, and C. hilaris was significantly higher in traps with MDD lures than in unbaited traps demonstrating that these nymphs were attracted to the synthetic aggregation pheromone. Pyramid traps baited with aggregation pheromone can be used as monitoring tools to assess the presence and seasonal development of certain stink bug pest species on crop and non-crop host plants and perhaps to predict timing of dispersal into and/or out of a crop.