Species Composition, Monitoring, and Feeding Injury of Stink Bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Blackberry Author(s): S. A. Brennan , O. E. Liburd , J. E. Eger , and E. M. Rhodes Source: Journal of Economic Entomology, 106(2):912-923. 2013. Published By: Entomological Society of America URL: http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1603/EC12415 BioOne (www.bioone.org) is a nonprofit, online aggregation of core research in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences. BioOne provides a sustainable online platform for over 170 journals and books published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses. Your use of this PDF, the BioOne Web site, and all posted and associated content indicates your acceptance of BioOne’s Terms of Use, available at www.bioone.org/page/terms_of_use. Usage of BioOne content is strictly limited to personal, educational, and non-commercial use. Commercial inquiries or rights and permissions requests should be directed to the individual publisher as copyright holder. BioOne sees sustainable scholarly publishing as an inherently collaborative enterprise connecting authors, nonprofit publishers, academic institutions, research libraries, and research funders in the common goal of maximizing access to critical research. HORTICULTURAL ENTOMOLOGY Species Composition, Monitoring, and Feeding Injury of Stink Bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Blackberry 1,2 1 3 1 S. A. BRENNAN, O. E. LIBURD, J. E. EGER, AND E. M. RHODES J. Econ. Entomol. 106(2): 912Ð923 (2013); DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EC12415 ABSTRACT Blackberry (Rubus spp.) production in Florida has increased Ͼ100% within the past two decades. and several insect pests, including stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), have been observed feeding on this crop. The objectives for this study were to determine the stink bug species present in blackberry; to develop monitoring tools for stink bugs in blackberry; and to describe feeding injury to blackberries by Euschistus quadrator Rolston, a relatively new stink bug pest to Florida, that has spread throughout the state. In a Þeld survey, E. quadrator was the most abundant stink bug species, followed by Euschistus servus Say, Euschistus obscurus (Palisot de Beauvois), Thyanta custator (F.), Proxys punctulatus (Palisot de Beauvois), and Podisus maculiventris Say. Yellow pyramid traps caught more stink bugs than tube traps with or without the addition of Euschistus spp. pheromone lures. There were no statistical differences between traps baited with a Tre´ce´ Pherocon Centrum lure, a Suterra Scenturion lure, and an unbaited trap. These results were supported by Y-tube olfactometer assays with E. quadrator where there were no differences between pheromone baited lures and a control. Injury to berries caused by E. quadrator adults and third instars was similar, and both adults and third instars fed more on green berries compared with turning berries. In addition, adults fed more on green berries compared with ripe fruit. The most common injury to green berries was discoloration. In contrast, misshapen drupelets were commonly seen on turning and ripe berries. The potential for managing stink bugs in blackberries to prevent them from reaching damaging levels is discussed. KEY WORDS blackberry, stink bug, Euschistus spp., injury, monitoring Several blackberry (Rubus spp.) cultivars have re- The genus Euschistus not only contains E. servus but cently been developed to be more tolerant to the also other pest species in the continental United climatic conditions of the southern United Sates, pos- States, including Euschistus variolarius (Palisot de sibly opening this region to further commercial black- Beauvois), Euschistus tristigmus (Say), Euschistus ic- berry production (Jennings et al. 1991, Moore 1997). tericus (L.), Euschistus quadrator Rolston, and Euschis- Georgia has tripled its production in the past 10 yr, tus conspersus (Uhler). E. quadrator and smaller spe- with 122 ha of blackberries harvested in 2007 (Strik et cies in the genus, such as Euschistus obscurus (Palisot al. 2007, USDAÐNASS 2009). Similarly, Florida black- de Beauvois), are sometimes referred to as the “lesser berry production has increased Þvefold within the brown stink bug complex” due to their increasing pest past 5 yr (O.E.L., unpublished data). Earlier ripening status (Hopkins et al. 2005). Members of the genus of blackberries in Florida may enable growers to meet Euschistus have been observed feeding on many cul- a market window not currently being Þlled by other tivated crops, including corn, Zea mays L.; cotton, southern states. Gossypium hirsutum (L.); alfalfa, Medicago sativa L.; Many pest species present in other geographical soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr.; and various fruits areas also affect blackberries in the southeast. South- (McPherson and McPherson 2000). These species ern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.); green stink bug, Acrosternum hilare (Say); and Euschistus spp. have migrated south, and increased in pest status in the have been reported as pests of blackberries in the southeastern United States in recent years. The intro- southeastern United States (Johnson and Lewis 2003, duction of crops such as Bt cotton in the south, which Anonymous 2008, Mizell 2008). The brown stink bug, does not control stink bugs, and reduced application Euschistus servus (Say), is also known to cause injury of broad-spectrum insecticides in favor of more se- to other Rubus spp. (Maxey 2011). lective pesticides may have contributed to the in- crease in numbers of Euschistus spp. in southeastern plantings. In addition to stink bugs, thrips (Franklin- iella spp.); twospotted spider mites, Tetranychus urti- 1 Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of Flor- cae Koch; and gall midges (Dasineura spp.) have been ida, Bldg. 970 Natural Area Dr., Gainesville, FL 32611. 2 Corresponding author, e-mail: sbrennan@uß.edu. listed as pests of concern for Florida (Ellis et al. 1991, 3 Dow AgroSciences LLC, 2606 S. Dundee St., Tampa, FL 33629. Mizell 2007; O.E.L. et al., unpublished data). 0022-0493/13/0912Ð0923$04.00/0 ᭧ 2013 Entomological Society of America April 2013 BRENNAN ET AL.: STINK BUGS IN BLACKBERRY 913 Stink bugs are highly mobile and polyphagous pests, uously disturbed with the mechanical harvester (De- thereby making monitoring difÞcult (McPherson and Francesco et al. 2002). McPherson 2000). Visual searches, ground cloths, With the changing pest complex and potential fu- blacklight traps, fruit injury, beating, and sweep-net ture increases in blackberry production in the south- samples have typically been used to determine stink east, it is necessary to identify and survey any previ- bug infestation levels in various crops (Todd and Her- ously undocumented pest species for blackberry in zog 1980). Many of these methods are labor-intensive Florida that may pose a threat to increasing produc- and can be biased against catching nymphs or adults tion. The speciÞc objectives for this study were to (Toews and Shurley 2009). identify key stink bug species present in blackberry, to Several species of stink bugs produce pheromones compare commercial traps and lures for monitoring that aid in the aggregation of stink bugs in the Þeld stink bugs in blackberries, and to conduct feeding (Todd and Herzog 1980, Krupke et al. 2001). It is assays to determine injury caused by E. quadrator on believed that these male-produced pheromones at- blackberry. tract both sexes (Aldrich et al. 1991, Millar et al. 2002, Leskey and Hogmire 2005) and may have potential in improving monitoring efÞciency in the Þeld. Materials and Methods Aldrich et al. (1991) trapped volatiles separately from male and female Euschistus spp. by using gas Study Site. Research was conducted at the Univer- chromatography and found a sex-speciÞc component, sity of Florida, Plant Science Research and Education methyl (2E,4Z)-decadienoate, produced by males. Unit (PSREU) in Citra, FL, and at the Small Fruit and This pheromone attracts males, females, and nymphs Vegetable integrated pest management (SFVIPM) of several Euschistus spp. and is a major component for laboratory at the University of Florida in Gainesville, E. servus, Euschistus politus (Uhler), E. ictericus, E. FL. The experimental site in Citra consists of two conspersus, and E. tristigmus (Aldrich et al. 1991). 0.10-ha sites, each composed of six blackberry culti- Although direct studies of volatile secretions of E. vars, one cultivar per row: ÔKiowaÕ, ÔOuachitaÕ, ÔArap- quadrator have not been conducted, this species is ahoÕ, ÔChickasawÕ, ÔChoctawÕ, and ÔNatchezÕ. Each row caught in traps baited with the Euschistus spp. pher- was Ϸ38.1 m in length, with 30 blackberry plants. Rows omone (Tillman and Cottrell 2012; S.A.B., unpub- were spaced Ϸ4.5 m apart, with the plot Ϸ27.5 m in lished data). width. Half of the site was managed as a traditional Mizell and Tedders (1995) modiÞed a pyramid trap conventional site, and the other was managed as an initially developed by Tedders and Wood (1994) to organic site. Blackberry plants were Ϸ3 yr old and monitor for the pecan weevil, Curculio caryae (Horn). 1.5 m in height during experimentation. These pyramid traps are most effective when painted Blackberry plots were watered using a hard line with industrial safety yellow as opposed to other col- with in-line emitters as needed, not exceeding 23,385Ð ors, indicating that the color yellow may be an attrac- 28,062 liters/ha/d. The organic plot received half the tive visual stimulus for stink bugs (Mizell and Tedders amount of water as the conventional plot. Organic 1995, Leskey and Hogmire 2005). Yellow pyramid plots were covered with DeWitt landscaping tarp traps have increased attraction when paired with the (DeWitt Company, Sikeston, MO). Hydrosource wa- Euschistus spp. pheromone methyl (2E,4Z)-decadi- ter-gathering crystals (Castle International Re- enoate. Hogmire and Leskey (2006) were able to sig- sources, Sedona, AZ) in various sizes (medium and niÞcantly reduce escape of Euschistus spp. by reducing standard) were added to the soil at a rate of 4,882.59 the cone opening inside the trap, and increasing jar kg/ha in the organic plots for water retention.