Annals of the Entomological Society of America (2018) 111, 122-126

David M. Lowenstein, Heather Andrews, Erica Rudolph, Ed Sullivan, Christopher J. Marshall and Nik G. Wiman (2018)
Astata unicolor (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) population in Oregon with observation of predatory behavior on Pentatomidae
Annals of the Entomological Society of America 111 (3), 122-126
Abstract: Predatory wasps are one of the few natural enemies to attack late instar pentatomid nymphs and adults. However, there is a substantial lack of information about their flight and nesting behavior, making them poorly understood. We report 3 yr of observational data of Astata unicolor Say 1824 foraging behavior and phenology from a residential site in Portland, OR. A. unicolor attacked and paralyzed at least four hemipteran species, and 64% of paralyzed prey were from the invasive Halyomorpha halys (Stål; Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Peak flight occurred between late July and mid-September. Though unmanaged and solitary, A. unicolor 's preference for H. halys demonstrates that native predators contribute to mortality and potentially management of economically important insects. This is one of the few studies to document predatory wasps' potential for biological control of H. halys. Additional work on Astata is necessary to determine whether trap nesting, dispersal, or habitat enhancement, broadens the potential for expanded biological control.
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Database assignments for author(s): Nik G. Wiman

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Halyomorpha halys		U.S.A. (NW)
Astata unicolor (predator)	Halyomorpha halys		U.S.A. (NW)