Journal of Insect Behavior (2014) 27, 639-651

Doo-Hyung Lee, Anne L. Nielsen and Tracy C. Leskey (2014)
Dispersal capacity and behavior of nymphal stages of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) evaluated under laboratory and field conditions
Journal of Insect Behavior 27 (5), 639-651
Abstract: The invasive brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (StÅl) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a highly polyphagous and mobile pest causing crop damage aggregated at the perimeters of crop fields. Understanding the dispersal biology of H. halys is critical for the development of reliable monitoring and management strategies. In this study, dispersal ecology of H. halys nymphs was studied under laboratory and field conditions. In the laboratory, horizontal and vertical walking capacity was quantified for mobile nymphal stages (i.e., 2nd through 5th instars) and compared with adults. There was a significant difference in the horizontal distance moved by H. halys among the life stages tested. Third instars exhibited significantly greater walking distances compared with adults; horizontal walking distances by other nymphal stages were not significantly different from adults. A similar pattern was observed from vertical climbing tests of H. halys. Third and 4th instars climbed significantly greater distances compared with 2nd instars and adults, while distances climbed by 5th instars were intermediate. In the field, the walking distance of 3rd and 5th instar nymphs on mowed grass was quantified based on direct observation of individuals for 30min. Under these conditions, 5th instars moved nearly two-fold greater distances compared with 3rd instars, but surface temperature affected both nymphal stages similarly. Shorter bouts of movement were common at surface temperatures below 25°C, whereas individuals showed longer walking distances above 25°C. In mark-release-recapture studies, 4th and 5th instars were released and recaptured in traps baited with attractive pheromonal-based stimuli to estimate dispersal rates under field conditions. When insects were released 5m from traps, both instars were first recaptured within 2h after release, with the recapture rates of 54 and 69% for 4th and 5th instars over 24h, respectively. When insects were released 20m from traps, 4th and 5th instars were first recaptured in less than 5h, with the recapture rates of 27 and 51%, respectively. The results of this study indicate that H. halys nymphs have strong dispersal capacity with which populations can easily move among host plants and other attractive stimuli at farmscape levels.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Tracy C. Leskey

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Halyomorpha halys