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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Southeast Watershed Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356609
Research Project: Ecology and Biologically-based Management Systems for Insect Pests in Agricultural Landscapes in the Southeastern Region

Location: Southeast Watershed Research

Title: Influence of pheromone-baited traps on stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in cotton

Author
item Tillman, Patricia - Glynn
item Cottrell, Ted

Submitted to: Journal of Insect Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/18/2018
Publication Date: 1/1/2019
Citation: Tillman, P.G., Cottrell, T.E. 2019. Influence of pheromone-baited traps on stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in cotton. Journal of Insect Science. 19(1):1-7. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iey140.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iey140

Interpretive Summary: Stink bugs are economic pests in most fruit, vegetable, grain, and row crops. Stink bug traps baited with lures with compounds attractive to stink bugs capture these pests in the field. Our specific objective for this study was to examine the impact of traps baited with brown and green stink bug lures on stink bugs in cotton. The brown and dusky stink bug were the most prevalent stink bug species in cotton. In 2015 and 2017, the number of stink bugs was higher on the row of cotton immediately adjacent to a pheromone-baited trap than on the second row from the trap. Stink bug number was lower on the seventh row of cotton beyond the trap in 2015 and on the fourth, eighth and sixteenth rows of cotton in 2017 compared to the two rows nearest the trap. These results indicate that adult stink bugs aggregate mainly on the two rows of cotton near a trap. Cotton boll injury, though, was similar for each cotton row indicating that the presence of stink bugs on cotton near a baited pheromone trap did not negatively impact boll damage. Therefore, pyramid traps baited with the stink bug lures can be used to assess the relative abundance and distribution of these pests in cotton and not affect boll injury near the traps.

Technical Abstract: Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are economic pests in most fruit, vegetable, grain, and row crops worldwide. Pyramid traps baited with lures with aggregation pheromones of stink bugs capture these pests in the field. Our specific objective for this study was to examine the influence of traps baited with lures of the aggregation pheromone of Euschistus spp., methyl (E,Z)-2,4-decadienoate (MDD), and Plautia stali Scott, methyl [E,E,Z]-2,4,6-decatrienoate (MDT), on stink bug density on cotton and injury to cotton bolls at different distances from the traps. Euschistus servus (Say) and E. tristigmus (Say) were the most prevalent stink bug species in cotton. In 2015 and 2017, adult stink bug density was significantly higher on the row of cotton immediately adjacent to a pheromone-baited trap than on the second row from the trap. Stink bug density was significantly lower on the seventh row of cotton beyond the trap in 2015 and on the fourth, eighth and sixteenth rows of cotton in 2017 compared to the two rows nearest the trap. These results indicate that adult stink bugs congregate mainly on the two rows of cotton near a pheromone-baited trap. Cotton boll injury, though, was similar for each cotton row sampled indicating that the presence of stink bugs on cotton near a trap did not negatively influence boll damage. Therefore, pyramid traps baited with the MDD-MDT aggregation pheromones of native stink bug species can be used to assess relative abundance and distribution of these pests in cotton and not affect boll injury near the traps.