Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), brown marmorated stink bug, is an invasive, polyphagous pest that has disrupted integrated pest management programs in Mid-Atlantic tree fruit orchards since 2010. The amount of damage to fruit caused by H. halys feeding is highly variable, even within adjacent orchard blocks, and the influence of orchards and wild host plants nearby on H. halys relative abundance is unknown. Pheromone-based trapping studies conducted along woodland-to-orchard transects, along woodland borders at sites with and without adjacent orchards, and within the mid-canopy of several common wild host trees in woodland borders were used to investigate biotic factors underlying the variability of H. halys populations among sites within a geographically proximate area. Additionally, the retention duration of H. halys on wild and cultivated tree hosts was used as a proxy for host acceptability throughout the season. All trapping studies yielded significantly greater H. halys captures during the late season, and in the transect study, pyramid traps deployed at orchard and woodland edges during this period yielded the highest captures. The presence of orchards or open fields adjacent to woodlands had no significant impact on H. halys captures in sticky traps deployed along wooded edges, but captures varied significantly among orchard and open field sites. Among 11 common wild host plant genera surveyed at these sites, five genera, Elaeagnus, Fraxinus, Lonicera, Ailanthus, and Sassafras, were significantly related to H. halys relative densities. Conversely, studies measuring captures in small pyramid traps within the canopy of wild tree hosts revealed no significant differences among hosts at any point in the season, suggesting that this approach might not be appropriate for assessing host plant suitability. Finally, harmonic radar trials assessing host plant retention as a proxy for host suitability revealed that adults released on peach and pheromone-baited apple trees had significantly greater retention durations than those released on non-host, grass, and that adult retention duration increased from the early to late season. In combination, results indicate that the risk posed by H. halys to cultivated orchard crops varied across locations and seasonally, and may be related to the species composition of wild host trees in adjoining woodlands. / Doctor of Philosophy / Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is an invasive insect that has inflicted feeding damage on fruit grown in Mid-Atlantic orchards since 2010. The agricultural landscape in the Mid-Atlantic region complicates BMSB management, as many orchards are bordered by woodlots containing a variety of BMSB host plants. The amount of BMSB feeding injury at harvest can vary greatly among nearby orchards, and even within individual orchards, but it is unknown why these differences exist. Several BMSB trapping studies using pheromone-baited traps revealed that BMSB populations were greatest in the late-season, confirming previous work. Furthermore, captures in traps positioned in lines intersecting orchards and adjacent woodlots revealed late-season BMSB presence was greatest at the orchard and woodland edges. Captures in traps next to woodlots adjacent to orchards and open field sites indicated that the presence of orchards had no impact on captures, but that captures varied significantly among orchard sites and open field sites. A survey of the woody plants in the woodlots adjacent to these sites revealed that five host plant genera were strongly related to BMSB abundance. A study examining BMSB captures in small pyramid traps deployed in the canopy of several common wild tree hosts did not yield differences in captures among hosts at any point in the season, and thus was not a suitable method for assessing seasonal differences in BMSB host use. Finally, harmonic radar technology was used to assess how long BMSB remained on several wild and cultivated host plants at different points in the growing season, as a proxy for host suitability. Peach and pheromone-baited apple showed significantly greater adult retention durations than non-host, grass, and adults remained on host plants longer in the early than late season. Ultimately, these results should aid in the monitoring and management of BMSB by providing a broader understanding of factors underlying the presence and abundance of BMSB on a localized geographic scale.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/111995 |
| Date | 02 April 2021 |
| Creators | Hadden, Whitney Taylor |
| Contributors | Entomology, Bergh, J. Christopher, Leskey, Tracy C., Walgenbach, James F., Kuhar, Thomas P., Brewster, Carlyle C. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Coverage | Virginia, United States |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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