Biological invasions are partly defined by their ability to spread rapidly within invaded regions, posing threats to biodiversity and local species assemblages. The painted bug, Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae) (Burmeister, 1835), originally described as being from India, is an important pest worldwide, mainly due to the serious economic losses incurred and the large number of zones invaded. Since its initial detection in Chile in 2016, the invasive and destructive paint bug has started its invasion to the east and invaded new areas in South America. Without adequate control methods, the insect may threaten brassica crop production, resulting in yield losses greater than 70% in recently infested areas. The extraordinarily wide range of the B. hilaris invasion has necessitated studies describing its biology and ecology, as well as highlighting the urgent need for effective and long-term management techniques. Hence, thoroughly revising the data on this pest in new areas that have been invaded, as well as in the area of origin, is expected to enable the development of management programs. This review incorporates information on B. hilaris in South America, including the invasion, ecology, and potential management approaches, which may allow for efficient integrated pest management, mainly in Chile. Lastly, researchers are expected to break the bottlenecks of some key issues, offering valuable perspectives for identifying strategies that warrant additional research as potential biological control agents for B. hilaris in South America, utilizing either augmentative or conservation biological control approaches, as well as semiochemicals and cultural practices.

Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is an invasive pest that causes significant damage to Brassica crops worldwide. This study evaluated behavioral and toxicological responses of adults B. hilaris to plant volatiles and essential oils (EOs). Y-tube olfactometer assays revealed sex-specific responses to plant-emitted volatiles: females were repelled by Coriandrum sativum and Petroselinum crispum, while males responded to Pelargonium hortorum. Essential oils exhibited non-linear concentration-dependent effects, with C. sativum EO inducing repellency at 40–80 µg/µL and P. hortorum at 160–320 µg/µL. In contrast, repellency index was not influenced by sex, but strongly driven by concentration, with C. sativum and P. hortorum most effective, and P. crispum showing weaker yet consistent responses. Toxicity assays demonstrated greater male susceptibility, with lower LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ values for C. sativum and P. hortorum. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of EOs matrix identified linalool, β-citronellol, trans-geraniol, and myristicin as the predominant constituents. Importantly, repellency occurred at lower concentrations than mortality thresholds, indicating distinct behavioral and physiological mechanisms. These findings support integrating C. sativum and P. hortorum essential oils into sustainable pest management strategies for B. hilaris.

Microbial inoculants are increasingly proposed within ecological-intensification strategies, yet their performance under heterogeneous commercial conditions remains uncertain. We evaluated a tripartite consortium of Funneliformis mosseae, Naganishia albida, and Bacillus tequilensis across six tomato production sites in central Chile using a 2 × 2 factorial randomized complete block design (irrigation × microbial management; three blocks per site; 72 plots). Normal irrigation was compared with reduced irrigation designed to receive 38% of the nominal irrigation depth. The same plots were followed across two growing seasons differing in fertilization and crop-management practices. Soil properties, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization, enzyme activities, substrate-induced responses, plant physiology, biomass, and yield were assessed. Site and growing-season context strongly structured responses. Consortium application increased total AM colonization from 46.18% to 52.47% (p < 0.001; partial η² = 0.176) and altered substrate-use composition (p = 0.009). The simple-sugars-to-other-substrates ILR balance increased under consortium application (Holm-adjusted p = 0.005), while the glucose-to-fructose balance decreased (Holm-adjusted p = 0.004), without increasing overall respiratory activity. Total and commercial yield showed no significant consortium response, and reduced irrigation did not enhance agronomic responses. Field evaluation of microbial inoculants should therefore prioritize agronomic outcomes across production contexts rather than colonization alone.