A different approach to identifying thermal parameters for invasive species

Authors: Neven, Lisa

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/12/2024
Publication Date: 11/5/2024
Citation: Neven, L.G. 2024. A different approach to identifying thermal parameters for invasive species. Journal of Economic Entomology. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toae135.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toae135

Interpretive Summary: The brown marmorated stink bug is an invasive species that attacks nearly 100 plants, many of them of agricultural importance. Scientists at the USDA-ARS laboratory in Wapato, WA used differential scanning calorimetry to determine the relationship of metabolic rates of all developmental stages of this pest in relation to temperature. It was determined that the 5th instar nymph was the most sensitive to high temperatures, and that the 3rd instar nymph was the most resistant to high temperatures. Comparisons of the experimental thermal range of the brown marmorated stink bug was compared to degree-day models, and it was determined that these experimental values were comparable to those previously published values for this pest. It is proposed that this method may provide a quicker way to develop degree-day models over more conventional methods. This finding will benefit farmers, pest consultants, and regulatory agencies in decision-making when trying to control newly invasive insect species.

Technical Abstract: The brown marmorated stinkbug, Halyomorpha halys Stål, is a polyphagous invasive insect found invasively in the eastern United States in 1998 but became a major agricultural pest in 2010. Environmental temperatures regulate the location of invasive species establishment in new locations. To determine those areas where an invasive species might establish it is essential to understand the metabolic response of all life stages to temperature. Differential scanning calorimetry is a useful tool to monitor living organisms’ metabolism at different temperatures, providing vital information related to the ability of the species to survive in new environments. The information obtained from isothermal and scanning calorimetric experiments on all the life stages of H. halys indicates that the third instar is the most thermotolerant stage and eggs and fifth instars are the least thermotolerant, whereas the third instars exhibit a broad range of thermotolerance as compared to all other developmental stages. The recorded values for lower, optimal, and upper developmental temperatures were compared to those reported by other researchers using laboratory and field data to develop degree-day models.