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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Newark, Delaware » Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #373618
Research Project: Classical Biological Control of Insect Pests of Crops, Emphasizing Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Spotted Wing Drosophila and Tarnished Plant Bug

Location: Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Unit

Title: Characteristics of the meconia of European egg parasitoids of Halyomorpha halys

Author
item SABBATINI PEVERIERI, GUISEPPINO - Centro Di Ricerca Difesa E Certificazione (CREA – DC)
item GIOVANNINI, LUCREZIA - Centro Di Ricerca Difesa E Certificazione (CREA – DC)
item BENVENUTI, CLAUDIA - Centro Di Ricerca Difesa E Certificazione (CREA – DC)
item MADONNI, LUCA - Centro Di Ricerca Difesa E Certificazione (CREA – DC)
item Hoelmer, Kim
item ROVERSI, PIO FEDERICO - Centro Di Ricerca Difesa E Certificazione (CREA – DC)

Submitted to: Journal of Hymenoptera Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/27/2020
Publication Date: 6/29/2020
Citation: Sabbatini Peverieri, G., Giovannini, L., Benvenuti, C., Madonni, L., Hoelmer, K.A., Roversi, P. 2020. Characteristics of the meconia of European egg parasitoids of Halyomorpha halys. Journal of Hymenoptera Research. 77:187-201. https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.77.52904.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/jhr.77.52904

Interpretive Summary: The brown marmorated stink bug is an agriculturally important invasive pest of Asian origin, for which biological control is a promising management method. Parasitoid wasps such as the Asian samurai wasp that attack the stink bug eggs are the most important natural enemies of this pest. In the invaded countries, only a few native egg parasitoid species are able to attack the stink bug, and only at low levels of parasitism. Several Asian parasitoids, including the samurai wasp, now occur in the USA and in Europe and are expected to contribute to control of the stink bug. Accurate identification of native and introduced natural enemies is necessary to assess their role in stink bug management. Our research identified several simple and useful methods that provide such identifications.

Technical Abstract: Halyomorpha halys is a severe invasive Asian pest worldwide and classical biological control is foreseen as the most promising control method. Egg parasitoids appear to be the most important natural enemies of this pest, especially the Asian hymenopteran Trissolcus japonicus. In the invaded areas, only a few egg parasitoid species have been able to adopt H. halys as a host. Anastatus bifasciatus is the most common native egg parasitoid of H. halys in Europe, but reaches only low levels of parasitization, while several other native species are only occasionally found. Recently, adventive populations have been found both in the USA and in Europe of T. japonicus, and in Italy of a second Asian species, Trissolcus mitsukurii. Species identification based on morphological traits by specialists and/or by molecular analysis is a crucial step in the management of biological control programs. Species identification within a narrow guild of egg parasitoids based on adult emergence holes and meconium features can be a simple and useful method to support management efforts. We present here detailed descriptions of the meconium of the parasitoid species attacking H. halys in Europe and the characteristics of their emergence holes of the adult wasps.