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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Southeast Watershed Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356607

Research Project: Ecology and Biologically-based Management Systems for Insect Pests in Agricultural Landscapes in the Southeastern Region

Location: Southeast Watershed Research

Title: Comparison of two insect-collecting devices for trapping stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Author
item Tillman, Patricia - Glynn
item Cottrell, Ted

Submitted to: Journal of Entomological Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/2019
Publication Date: 10/1/2019
Citation: Tillman, P.G., Cottrell, T.E. 2019. Comparison of two insect-collecting devices for trapping stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Journal of Entomological Science. 54(4):409-416. https://doi.org/10.18474/JES18-131.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18474/JES18-131

Interpretive Summary: Stink bugs, including the brown stink bug and dusky stink bug, are economic pests in most fruit, grain, vegetable, and row crops in the United States. An insect-collecting device made from a 96 oz. clear plastic PET® jar loaded with a lure attractive to these two stink bug species and seated atop a 4-ft-tall yellow pyramid base has been used to effectively capture these pests in orchards and field crops. The 96 oz. clear plastic PET® jar is no longer commercially available in small batches, but a 128 oz. clear plastic PET® jar can still be purchased in low quantities. This study was conducted to compare stink bug capture of a pyramid trap with a 96 oz. insect-collecting device to that of a trap with a 128 oz. one. The brown stink bug was the predominant stink bug species captured (92.9%) in pyramid traps in peanuts, followed by the dusky stink bug (4.5%). Total trap capture for these two stink bug species in peanut was similar regardless of the size of the insect-collecting device on the pyramid trap. So the new 128 oz. top can be substituted for the old 96 oz. top on pyramid traps to capture these stink bugs.

Technical Abstract: Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), including Euschistus spp., Chinavia hilaris (Say), and Nezara viridula (L.), are economic pests in most fruit, grain, vegetable, and row crops in the United States. An insect-collecting device made from a 2.8-L clear plastic PET® jar loaded with a pheromone lure attractive to Euschistus spp. and seated atop a 1.22-m-tall yellow pyramid base has been used to effectively capture Euschistus spp., C. hilaris, and N. viridula in orchards and field crops. The 2.8-L clear plastic PET® jar is no longer commercially available in small batches, but a 3.8-L clear plastic PET® jar can still be purchased in low quantities. This study was conducted to compare stink bug capture of a pyramid trap with the 2.8-L insect-collecting device to that of a trap with a 3.8-L one. Euschistus servus was the predominant stink bug species captured (92.9%) in pheromone-baited yellow pyramid traps in peanuts, followed by E. tristigmus (4.5%), E. quadrator (2.3%), E. ictericus (1%), C. hilaris (1%), and N. viridula (1%). Total trap capture for E. servus and E. tristigmus in pyramid traps in peanut was similar regardless of the size of the insect-collecting device on the traps. So the new 3.8-L top can be substituted for the old 2.8-L top on pyramid traps to capture these stink bugs.