Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) trap captures at orchard and nonorchard sites and the influence of uncultivated woody host plants in adjoining woodlots.

The invasive Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) has threatened Mid-Atlantic tree fruit since 2010. To identify factors underlying observed differences in H. halys pest pressure among individual orchards within a geographically proximate area, a 3-yr study was conducted across 10 apple orchard and 8 nonorchard sites bordered by unmanaged woodlots. At each site, 3 pheromone traps were monitored weekly for H. halys captures from late April to mid-October. Apple injury was assessed at harvest at orchard sites annually, and a survey of woody plants found in woodlots adjacent to all sites was conducted. There were no significant differences in captures between orchard and nonorchard site types, but captures were significantly different among individual orchard sites and among individual nonorchard sites. A significant positive relationship between the amount of stink bug injury on apple at harvest and late season captures was detected at orchard sites in 2018 and 2019. Among woodlots adjacent to all sites, a significant positive relationship between the proportion of Lonicera spp. and mid- and late-season nymphal captures was identified. Season-long nymphal captures were positively related to the proportion of Lonicera and Elaeagnus and negatively with Sassafras. For adults, captures were negatively related to the proportion of Ailanthus and positively related to the proportion of Fraxinus in the early and mid-season, respectively. Our results indicate that orchard presence was not driving the relative abundance of localized H. halys populations and that differences in relative densities among sites point to other factors, such as abundance of specific uncultivated woody hosts in unmanaged areas.

Seasonal Distribution of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Captures in Woods-to-Orchard Pheromone Trap Transects in Virginia.

The invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), is a pest of numerous economically important crops in the USA. In the Mid-Atlantic region, it is a significant, direct pest in tree fruit orchards, many of which are bordered by woodlots containing a variety of its deciduous tree and shrub hosts. During the growing season, H. halys moves from woodland habitats into crops, but seasonal changes in its relative abundance between these adjacent habitats have not been examined. Using linear transects of six pheromone-baited pyramid traps that extended from 100 m into the interior of woodlots to 100 m into the interior of adjacent commercial apple orchards in Virginia, spatiotemporal changes in H. halys captures were measured during three growing seasons. Captures of H. halys adults and nymphs were recorded weekly from May through October, and annual data were separated into early, mid, and late-season captures. Only adults were captured during the early season, and there was no indication of a spatial trend in captures across traps in the transects among years. Beginning in mid-season and becoming increasingly apparent by late season, captures of H. halys adults and nymphs tended to become most frequent in traps at the woods and orchard edges and at 50 m into the orchard interior. These findings conform with and expand upon previous research documenting an edge effect for H. halys relative abundance and can inform and support the optimization of perimeter-based management strategies for H. halys in Mid-Atlantic apple orchards.

Entomology in the 21st Century: Tackling Insect Invasions, Promoting Advancements in Technology, and Using Effective Science Communication-2018 Student Debates.

The 2018 student debates of the Entomological Society of America were held at the Joint Annual Meeting for the Entomological Societies of America, Canada, and British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. Three unbiased introductory speakers and six debate teams discussed and debated topics under the theme 'Entomology in the 21st Century: Tackling Insect Invasions, Promoting Advancements in Technology, and Using Effective Science Communication'. This year's debate topics included: 1) What is the most harmful invasive insect species in the world? 2) How can scientists diffuse the stigma or scare factor surrounding issues that become controversial such as genetically modified organisms, agricultural biotechnological developments, or pesticide chemicals? 3) What new/emerging technologies have the potential to revolutionize entomology (other than Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)? Introductory speakers and debate teams spent approximately 9 mo preparing their statements and arguments and had the opportunity to share this at the Joint Annual Meeting with an engaged audience.