This month, the open-access Journal of Integrated Pest Management (JIPM) published “Identification, Biology, Impacts, and Management of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) of Soybean and Corn in the Midwestern United States,” a profile of several of the most common stink bug pests that offers methods for differentiating species, summaries of stink bug life cycles and behaviors, and guidance for monitoring and managing them.
Robert Koch, Ph.D., assistant professor and extension entomologist at the University of Minnesota and lead author of the JIPM article, along with his co-authors conducted an extensive review of existing research on management of stink bugs in developing the new profile aimed at Midwestern growers. While “at least 24 species or subspecies of stink bugs could potentially be encountered in soybean and corn in the Midwestern United States,” the most common pest species are outlined in the article, including:
◾Green stink bug (Chinavia hilaris)
◾Brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys)
◾Redshouldered stink bug (Thyanta custator acerra)
◾Brown stink bug (Euschistus servus)
◾Onespotted stink bug (Euschistus variolarius)
Koch and colleagues specify scouting methods for measuring stink bug abundance in fields, along with economic thresholds at which management tactics should be deployed. Their research identifies which classes of insecticides may be best suited for individual species and identify additional resources for growers to investigate cultural and biological control measures, as well.
More information on Stink Bugs and the full article can be found here.
