Community Composition, Abundance, and Phenology of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Soybean in the North Central Region of the United States

Authors

Daniela Pezzini, University of MinnesotaFollow
Christina D. DiFonzo, Michigan State UniversityFollow
Deborah L. Finke, University of MissouriFollow
Thomas Hunt, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Janet J. Knodel, North Dakota State UniversityFollow
Christian H. Krupke, Purdue UniversityFollow
Brian P. McCornack, Kansas State UniversityFollow
Andrew P. Michel, Ohio State UniversityFollow
Christopher R. Philips, University of MinnesotaFollow
Adam J. Varenhorst, South Dakota State UniversityFollow
Robert J. Wright, University of NebraskaFollow
Robert Koch, University of MinnesotaFollow

Date of this Version

2019

Citation

Published in Journal of Economic Entomology, 112:4 (2019), pp 1722–1731.

doi: 10.1093/jee/toz099

Comments

Copyright © by the Authors. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. Used by permission

Abstract

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are an increasing threat to soybean (Fabales: Fabaceae) production in the North Central Region of the United States, which accounts for 80% of the country’s total soybean production. Characterization of the stink bug community is essential for development of management programs for these pests. However, the composition of the stink bug community in the region is not well defined. This study aimed to address this gap with a 2-yr, 9-state survey. Specifically, we characterized the relative abundance, richness, and diversity of taxa in this community, and assessed phenological differences in abundance of herbivorous and predatory stink bugs. Overall, the stink bug community was dominated by Euschistus spp. (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and Chinavia hilaris (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Euschistus variolarius (Palisot de Beauvois) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), C. hilaris and Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) were more abundant in the northwestern, southeastern and eastern parts, respectively, of the North Central Region of the United States. Economically significant infestations of herbivorous species occurred in fields in southern parts of the region. Species richness differed across states, while diversity was the same across the region. Herbivorous and predatory species were more abundant during later soybean growth stages. Our results represent the first regional characterization of the stink bug community in soybean fields and will be fundamental for the development of state- and region-specific management programs for these pests in the North Central Region of the United States.