Greg Krawczyk

Biology, Ecology, and Management of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys Stal, is an invasive, herbivorous insect species that was accidentally introduced to the United States from Asia. First discovered in Allentown, PA, in 1996, H. halys has now been reported from at least 40 states in the United States. Additional invasions have been detected in Canada, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, and Lichtenstein, suggesting this invasive species could emerge as a cosmopolitan pest species. In its native range, H. halys is classified as an outbreak pest; however, in North America, H. halys has become a major agricultural pest across a wide range of commodities. H. halys is a generalist herbivore, capable of consuming >100 different species of host plants, often resulting in substantial economic damage; its feeding damage resulted in US

Spatial Distribution of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Injury at Harvest in Mid-Atlantic Apple Orchards

37 million of losses in apple in 2010, but this stink bug species also attacks other fruit, vegetable, field crop, and ornamental plant species. H. halys has disrupted integrated pest management programs for multiple cropping systems. Pesticide applications, including broad-spectrum insecticides, have increased in response to H. halys infestations, potentially negatively influencing populations of beneficial arthropods and increasing secondary pest outbreaks. H. halys is also challenging because it affects homeowners as a nuisance pest; the bug tends to overwinter in homes and outbuildings. Although more research is required to better understand the ecology and biology of H. halys , we present its life history, host plant damage, and the management options available for this invasive pest species.

Sunflower as a Potential Trap Crop of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Pepper Fields

ABSTRACT Brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), injury to late-season apple cultivars was measured at harvest in 2011 and 2012 in commercial orchards in four mid-Atlantic states. In each orchard block, a border zone (adjacent to woods), an interior zone (near orchard center), and an intermediate zone (between border and interior zones) comprised 1–3 tree rows per zone, depending on block size. Just before commercial harvest, 10 fruit were sampled from the upper, middle, and lower third of the canopy from five trees in each zone. After 3–5 wk in cold storage, fruit were examined for external and internal injury, and severity of internal injury (number of injury sites per fruit) from H. halys. A zero-inflated negative binomial model accounted for significant variation among the orchards and showed that apples from the upper canopy of border zone trees had the highest probability of experiencing external and internal injury. A minor interaction was detected among the orchards and zones for injury prevalence and severity, but there was no evidence of an orchard showing less expected injury in the border zone compared with other zones. Adjusting for orchard-to-orchard variation, differences in injury distributions among the zones and canopies were primarily due to injury prevalence rather than expected injury severity. The implications of these results to scouting and managing H. halys in eastern apple orchards are discussed.

Deltamethrin-Incorporated Nets as an Integrated Pest Management Tool for the Invasive Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

ABSTRACT The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), feeds on a variety of fruits and vegetables, and is an economically important invasive hemipteran pest. Trap cropping of H. halys was examined at the Pennsylvania State University Southeast Agriculture Research and Extension Center (SEAREC) in Lancaster Co., PA, from 2012 to 2013, with sunflowers used as a trap crop to protect bell pepper. H. halys were observed frequently on sunflowers planted surrounding the pepper field, and in both years of this experiment significantly more H. halys were observed in sunflowers than peppers. Both adults and nymphs were observed with equal frequency, with higher numbers of both observed in September. A 2:1 ratio of females to males was observed throughout both years. While sunflowers were attractive to H. halys, no difference in fruit damage was observed in peppers surrounded by the sunflower trap crop versus those peppers surrounded by peppers. While sunflowers present an interesting potential trap crop for H. halys, future research is needed to clarify the feasibility of this crop protection technique.

A comparison of various mating disruption technologies for control of two internally feeding Lepidoptera in apples

Abstract Long-lasting insecticide nets (LLINs), which have insecticide incorporated within the fibers, have been widely used for control of malaria and other insect-vectored diseases. Only recently have researchers begun exploring their use for control of agricultural pests. In this study, we evaluated the toxicity of a deltamethrin-incorporated LLIN, ZeroFly (Vestergaard–Frandsen, Washington, DC) for control of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål). In the lab, exposure to the ZeroFly net for 10 s resulted in >90% mortality of H. halys nymphs and >40% mortality of H. halys adults. Longer exposure to the net resulted in higher mortality. In another experiment, a 15-cm2 sheet of ZeroFly net placed inside of the stink bug trap provided long-lasting kill of H. halys adults equal to or better than standard dichlorvos kill strip. Potential for the use of ZeroFly nets for H. halys IPM is discussed.

Extrafloral nectar in an apple ecosystem to enhance biological control.

Sex pheromone mating disruption (MD) is an approach used to control several moth pest species of pome fruit by disrupting the ability of the males to find females and consequently prevent mating. The following experiments were performed to determine the effectiveness of several new and experimental sex pheromone MD technologies, and dispenser densities for simultaneous control of the codling moth (CM), Cydia pomonella (L.), and the oriental fruit moth (OFM), Grapholita molesta (Busck) (both Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in Pennsylvania apple orchards. In one study, three MD approaches to control CM and oriental fruit moth – CM and OFM Disrupt Micro‐Flakes, Isomate CM/OFM TT, and both a CideTrak OFM and a CideTrak CM dispenser containing both codlemone and pear ester – and an insecticides‐only treatment were compared over the course of 2 years. In the other studies, the efficacy of several CheckMate Duel dispenser densities (i.e., 250, 375, 425, and 500 dispensers ha−1) were compared against Isomate CM/OFM TT, and an insecticides‐only treatment. The CideTrak CM/pear ester combination and Isomate CM/OFM TT treatments both substantially reduced CM captures in traps in 2007 and 2008. Meanwhile, OFM trap shutdown was highest in the CheckMate Duel densities of 375 (99.9 ± 0.08%) and 500 dispensers ha−1 (98.9 ± 0.07%) and the Isomate CM/OFM TT treatment (98.0 ± 1.13%), and lowest in the 250 dispensers ha−1 density treatment (94.3 ± 3.23%). In orchards where OFM is the dominant pest species, a CheckMate Duel dispenser density of 375 ha−1 is necessary for effective control, whereas higher densities are needed to control CM.

Population Dynamics and Flight Phenology Model of Codling Moth Differ between Commercial and Abandoned Apple Orchard Ecosystems.

ABSTRACT A common goal of conservation biological control is to enhance biodiversity and increase abundance and effectiveness of predators and parasitoids. Although many studies report an increase in abundance of natural enemies, it has been difficult to document increases in rates of biological control. To enhance parasitism of the tufted apple bud moth, Platynota idaeusalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), alternate food was provided by interplanting peaches bearing extrafloral nectaries into apple (Malus spp.) orchards. Laboratory studies showed that the presence of nectar increased longevity and parasitism rates by Goniozus floridanus (Bethylidae), the dominant parasitoid of tufted apple bud moth in West Virginia. In orchard studies, we found the total number of hymenopteran parasitoids was higher on peach (Prunus spp.) trees than on adjacent apple trees. Abundance of parasitic Hymenoptera also was significantly higher on the side of traps facing away from rather than toward peach trees, indicating attraction to peach trees. However, total parasitism rates of tufted apple bud moth were not affected by the presence of peach extrafloral nectar in any field studies. Insect injury to fruit at harvest showed that fruit from orchards with interplanted peach trees had less injury from San Jose scale, Quadraspidiotus perniciosus (Comstock) and stink bugs (Pentatomidae) than fruit from an apple monoculture. Although interplanting with peach trees did not produce the hypothesized result of increased biological control, the experiment did have beneficial results for pest management. These results demonstrate the importance of collecting data on variables beyond the targeted species when evaluating habitat manipulation experiments to fully assess the impact on the ecosystem.

Monitoring oriental fruit moth and codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with combinations of pheromones and kairomones

Apple orchard management practices may affect development and phenology of arthropod pests, such as the codling moth (CM), Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), which is a serious internal fruit-feeding pest of apples worldwide. Estimating population dynamics and accurately predicting the timing of CM development and phenology events (for instance, adult flight, and egg-hatch) allows growers to understand and control local populations of CM. Studies were conducted to compare the CM flight phenology in commercial and abandoned apple orchard ecosystems using a logistic function model based on degree-days accumulation. The flight models for these orchards were derived from the cumulative percent moth capture using two types of commercially available CM lure baited traps. Models from both types of orchards were also compared to another model known as PETE (prediction extension timing estimator) that was developed in 1970s to predict life cycle events for many fruit pests including CM across different fruit growing regions of the United States. We found that the flight phenology of CM was significantly different in commercial and abandoned orchards. CM male flight patterns for first and second generations as predicted by the constrained and unconstrained PCM (Pennsylvania Codling Moth) models in commercial and abandoned orchards were different than the flight patterns predicted by the currently used CM model (i.e., PETE model). In commercial orchards, during the first and second generations, the PCM unconstrained model predicted delays in moth emergence compared to current model. In addition, the flight patterns of females were different between commercial and abandoned orchards. Such differences in CM flight phenology between commercial and abandoned orchard ecosystems suggest potential impact of orchard environment and crop management practices on CM biology.

Evaluating sex-pheromone- and kairomone-based lures for attracting codling moth adults in mating disruption versus conventionally managed apple orchards in Pennsylvania.

Experiments were conducted in North and South America during 2012–2013 to evaluate the use of lure combinations of sex pheromones (PH), host plant volatiles (HPVs) and food baits in traps to capture the oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta (Busck), and codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), in pome and stone fruit orchards treated with sex pheromones. The combination of the sex pheromone of both species (PH combo lure) significantly increased G. molesta and marginally decreased C. pomonella captures as compared with captures of each species with either of their sex pheromones alone. The addition of a HPV combination lure [(E,Z)‐2,4‐ethyl decadienoate plus (E)‐β‐ocimene] or acetic acid used alone or together did not significantly increase the catch of either species in traps with the PH combo lure. The Ajar trap baited with terpinyl acetate and brown sugar (TAS bait) caught significantly more G. molesta than the delta trap baited with PH combo plus acetic acid in California during 2012. The addition of a PH combo lure to an Ajar trap significantly increased catches of G. molesta compared to the use of the TAS bait or PH combo lure alone in 2013. Female G. molesta were caught in TAS‐baited Ajar traps at similar levels with or without the use of additional lures. Ajar traps baited with the TAS bait alone or with (E)‐β‐ocimene and/or PH combo lures caught significantly fewer C. pomonella than delta traps with sex pheromone alone. Ajar traps with 6.4‐mm screened flaps caught similar numbers of total and female G. molesta as similarly baited open Ajar traps, and with a significant reduction in the catch of non‐targets. Broader testing of HPV and PH combo lures for G. molesta in either delta or screened or open Ajar traps is warranted.

Monitoring oriental fruit moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) with the Ajar bait trap in orchards under mating disruption

BACKGROUND Effectiveness of different types of commercial sex-pheromone- and kairomone-based lures for attracting codling moth adults may vary under different pest management practices. The attractiveness of four types of codling moth (CM) lures (CM L2 Long-Life(®), CM 10X Megalure(®), Pherocon CM DA(®) and Pherocon CM-DA Combo(®)) was evaluated in commercial apple orchards either treated with sex pheromone mating disruption (MD) or only conventional insecticides (non-MD) in Adams County, Pennsylvania, in 2006 and 2007. RESULTS CM DA Combo lure was most effective in terms of mean seasonal weekly moth capture as well as mean cumulative moth capture in MD orchards. In both years, the CM L2 lure was as attractive to adult moths as the CM DA Combo lure in non-MD orchards. The CM DA and CM 10X lures caught significantly fewer moths in both MD and non-MD orchards compared with the CM DA Combo lure. CONCLUSIONS ON the basis of mean seasonal weekly moth capture as well as mean cumulative moth capture, the CM DA Combo and CM L2 lures were found to be significantly more effective for monitoring CM adults in both MD and non-MD orchards. In contrast, the CM DA and CM 10X lures were not as effective in either type of orchard.