Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are economic pests of cotton and soybean. This study was conducted to examine predation on stink bugs by arthropod predators in cotton and adjoining soybean habitats. Gut-content analysis based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect stink bug deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) in predators collected from both crops over a 5 wk period. Nezara viridula (L.), Euschistus servus (Say), Chinavia hilaris (Say), and Euschistus quadrator Rolston were detected on soybean and cotton. Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) and Thyanta custator custator (F.) were detected only on soybean whereas Euschistus tristigmus (Say) was detected only on cotton. Over both crops, 13 predators screened positive for a variety of stink bug species DNA by PCR analysis: Geocoris punctipes (Say) and Geocoris uliginosus (Say) (Hemiptera: Geocoridae), Orius insidiosus (Say) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), Hippodamia convergens Guérin-Méneville, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (cotton), and Scymnus sp.... Resumen Los chinches (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) son plagas económicas de algodón y soja. Se realizó este estudio para examinar la depredación sobre chinches de depredadores artrópodos en los hábitats del algodón y soja adyacentes. Se utilizó el análisis del contenido del estómago basado en la reacción en cadena de la polimerasa (PCR) para detectar el ácido desoxirribonucleico (ADN) del chinche en los depredadores recolectados de ambos cultivos durante un período de 5 semanas. Se detectaron Nezara viridula (L.), Euschistus servus (Say), Chinavia hilaris (Say), y Euschistus quadrator Rolston en la soja y el algodón. Se detectaron Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) y Thyanta custator custator (F.) sólo en la soja mientras que se detectó Euschistus tristigmus (Say) sólo en el algodón. De ambos cultivos, 13 depredadores examinados fueron positivos para el ADN de una variedad de especies de chinches por el análisis de PCR: Geocoris punctipes (por ejemplo) y Geocoris uliginosus (Say) (Hemiptera: Geocoridae), Orius i...

Developmental times for the immature stages of four species of endoparasitoids of Heliothis virescens (F.), Microplitis croceipes (Cresson), M. demolitor Wilkinson, Cotesia kazak (Telenga), and Hyposoter didymator (Thunberg), were studied at 20, 23, 25, 27, 30, 32, and 35°C. The responses of M. croceipes and H. didymator to increases in temperature were significantly different from each other ( P < 0.05; F = 39.47; df = 1, 18) and from the other two parasitoid species, but the responses of C. kazak and M. demolitor were not significantly different ( P > 0.05; F = 0.58; df = 1, 18). The developmental temperature optima were 33°C for M. croceipes , 31°C for C. kazak and M. demolitor , and 29°C for H. didymator.

The effect of prey species on plant feeding behavior by Geocoris punctipes (Say) females was determined by observing prey and plant feeding behavior

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are polyphagous pests that cause significant economic losses to a variety of crops. Although many species have been documented to aggregate within agricultural fields, much less is known regarding the timing and distribution of adults and nymphs within and between surrounding non-crop habitat. Therefore, we explored the spatiotemporal distribution of Euschistus servus (Say), Euschistus tristigmus (Say), and Chinavia hilaris (Say), three species of North American origin, and examined whether distribution patterns varied between species according to habitat. Stink bugs were monitored weekly for three years within an 18 km² grid of pheromone-baited traps. We tested whether habitat affected distribution patterns, used spatial analysis by distance indices (SADIE) to identify aggregations, and visualized distributions with interpolated maps. Overall, E. servus adults were captured in crops, whereas E. tristigmus adults and nymphs were mainly captured in forests. Accordingly, distribution patterns of E. tristigmus were relatively stable over time, whereas aggregations of adult E. servus varied over space, and the timing of aggregations reflected the phenology of major crops. Chinavia hilaris was most often captured in forest, followed by crop habitat. Pest management strategies for stink bugs may require an area-based management approach that accounts for movement in agricultural fields and surrounding habitat.

Acroclisoides sinicus (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) was described in 1988 from China, but recent findings in Europe and North America within the framework of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) biological control indicate a Holarctic distribution. The few records and fragmented information on A. sinicus are derived from generic observations of other species belonging to the same genus, and its biological and ethological traits are still completely unexplored. It was suspected to be a facultative or obligate hyperparasitoid of many egg parasitoid species (e.g., Scelionidae and Eupelmidae), especially those parasitizing Pentatomidae eggs. Laboratory colonies of A. sinicus were established from specimens collected in the field in Europe and the USA, which allowed us to investigate for the first time the life traits of this somewhat enigmatic species. Our studies confirmed the obligate hyperparasitoid hypothesis for species of Scelionidae but not of Eupelmidae. Laboratory studies revealed that A. sinicus is extremely selective in its host recognition as only the pupal stage of its host species is exploited for parasitization. Taking into consideration its hyperparasitoid habit, the adventive A. sinicus populations in Europe and North America may potentially be severe threats to pentatomid natural control as new components in the trophic chain of pentatomids and their parasitoid guilds.