Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
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Beginner
This pest affects:
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Scientific Name
Halyomorpha halys
Identification
Eggs
- Elliptical
- White to light green
- Deposited in masses of 20-30 on the underside of leaves
- Oval, 5 instars, 2.4-12 mm in length and lacking wings
- Early instars difficult to distinguish from many other species and have a tick-like appearance
- First instars are bright red and remain on or near the egg mass
- second instars are black
- Older nymphs are pear-shaped, have a mottled rust coloured abdomen becoming brown with age, and have triangular markings on the edge of the abdomen and white bands on antennae similar to adults
Adults
- Shield-shaped, 12-17 mm long
- Marbled brown-grey appearance
- Smooth, rounded shoulders that do not protrude forward, with a single tooth-like projection right behind each eye
- Edge of the abdomen has a geometric pattern of dark patches alternating with inward-pointing white triangles
- Legs brown with faint white banding
- White bands on last two antennal segments
Damage
- Not easily distinguishable from other stink bug injuries
- Pitting and scarring, sometimes leading to a mealy texture in the fruit
- Early season feeding can result in stunted growth, distortions and fruit abortion
- Late season feeding can result in dimpling or sunken regions on the skin surface and white to brown pithy areas internally
- Some damage is not noticeable until cold storage
- On stone fruit damage appears as corky areas sometimes filled with gum
- While surface injury may appear minimal, internal damage may be significant
- Has also been associated with increased brown rot incidence in stone fruit
Often Confused With
Other stink bugs (common brown stink bugs, rough stink bugs) western conifer seed bugs, squash bugs and spined soldier bugs (beneficial stink bug species), each of which may share some but not all key distinguishing features with BMSB. All of these bugs have alternating patterns of dark and light patches along the edge of the abdomen, but lack white triangles and obvious banding on antennae
Cork Spot (Anjou pear) - no puncture within the area of depression on the fruit skin and can occur separate from the skin with healthy flesh between the corking and skin
Stony pit virus (pear) - When the fruit is cut open there is a brown spot deep inside the is extremely hard, it is almost impossible to get a knife through it
Period of activity
BMSB activity in orchards occurs pre-bloom through to harvest, with nymphs appearing after bloom.
Scouting Notes
BMSB has been identified this pest in crops in Ontario. However, economic losses have not been determined. Other stink bugs do not appear in orchards until mid-season, and then only as adults. Because the seasonal activity differs from other stink bugs, unusual patterns of stink bug damage may be an indicator of BMSB presence in the field. Damage occurs mostly on the tops of trees and on the outer rows. Depressions will begin to show in mid June with discolouration by the end of June.
Threshold
There are no established thresholds for BMSB adults or nymphs. Because a single feeding probe can create damage to fruit, even small numbers can cause considerable damage over the course of the growing season.
Advanced
This pest affects:
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; |
Scientific Name
Halyomorpha halys
Identification
Eggs
- Elliptical
- White to light green
- Deposited in masses of 20-30 on the underside of leaves
- Oval, 5 instars, 2.4-12 mm in length and lacking wings
- Early instars difficult to distinguish from many other species and have a tick-like appearance
- First instars are bright red and remain on or near the egg mass
- second instars are black
- Older nymphs are pear-shaped, have a mottled rust coloured abdomen becoming brown with age, and have triangular markings on the edge of the abdomen and white bands on antennae similar to adults
Adults
- Shield-shaped, 12-17 mm long
- Marbled brown-grey appearance
- Smooth, rounded shoulders that do not protrude forward, with a single tooth-like projection right behind each eye
- Edge of the abdomen has a geometric pattern of dark patches alternating with inward-pointing white triangles
- Legs brown with faint white banding
- White bands on last two antennal segments
Damage
- Not easily distinguishable from other stink bug injuries
- Pitting and scarring, sometimes leading to a mealy texture in the fruit
- Early season feeding can result in stunted growth, distortions and fruit abortion
- Late season feeding can result in dimpling or sunken regions on the skin surface and white to brown pithy areas internally
- Some damage is not noticeable until cold storage
- On stone fruit damage appears as corky areas sometimes filled with gum
- While surface injury may appear minimal, internal damage may be significant
- Has also been associated with increased brown rot incidence in stone fruit
Often Confused With
Other stink bugs (brown stink bugs, rough stink bugs) western conifer seed bugs, squash bugs and spined soldier bugs (beneficial stink bug species), each of which may share some but not all key distinguishing features with BMSB. All of these bugs have alternating patterns of dark and light patches along the edge of the abdomen, but lack white triangles and obvious banding on antennae
Cork Spot (Anjou pear) - no puncture within the area of depression on the fruit skin and can occur separate from the skin with healthy flesh between the corking and skin
Stony pit virus (pear) - When the fruit is cut open there is a brown spot deep inside the is extremely hard, it is almost impossible to get a knife through it.
Biology
Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) overwinters as an adult in protected areas, becoming active when temperatures increase in the spring. In northern climates, there is a single generation per year. The adults emerge in the spring and feed for several weeks on early season hosts before mating. Egg-laying occurs through the summer months, from May through August. Both adults and nymphs can cause feeding damage to crops. . The adults are long-lived, with females laying eggs over an extended time period, resulting in seemingly overlapping generations with all life stages (eggs, nymphs and adults) present. A single female may lay several hundred eggs. Adults are highly mobile and migrate between host crops throughout the growing season. Adults move to overwintering sites (woodlots and rocky outcroppings, human built structures) in response to decreasing temperatures and daylength the fall. Where populations are well-established, large numbers of overwintering BMSB adults can be found aggregating in structures.
The BMSB is highly mobile and capable of moving between a very broad host range, including numerous field crops, wild hosts, stone fruit, pome fruit, tree nuts, grapes, berry crops, peppers, tomatoes, sweet and field corn, soybeans, and ornamental trees and shrubs.
Period of activity
BMSB activity in orchards occurs pre-bloom through to harvest, with nymphs appearing after bloom.
Scouting Notes
BMSB has been identified this pest in crops in Ontario. However, economic losses have not been determined Other stink bugs do not appear in orchards until mid-season, and then only as adults. Because the seasonal activity differs from other stink bugs, unusual patterns of stink bug damage may be an indicator of BMSB presence in the field. Damage occurs mostly on the tops of trees and on the outer rows. Depressions will begin to show in mid June with discolouration by the end of June.
Threshold
There are no established thresholds for BMSB adults or nymphs. Because a single feeding probe can create damage to fruit, even small numbers can cause considerable damage over the course of the growing season.
Management Notes
Without careful examination for distinguishing characteristics by a qualified person, it is difficult to distinguish BMSB from other species. While OMAFRA extension staff, private consultants, and researchers are keeping an eye out for BMBS, growers and consultants who suspect they may have found BMSB should collect samples, freeze them in a container or in alcohol, and submit them to OMAFRA specialists for identification.
There are no insecticides registered for BMSB in Ontario. If it is detected, consult OMAFRA specialists. Some insecticides that are applied for other orchard insects may provide control of this pest.
Some information included above excerpted from;
