Growing Problems with Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae):<i>Species Invasive to the U.S. and Potential Neotropical Invaders</i>

Abstract

Antônio R. Panizzi , Past President and Honorary Member of the Entomological Society of Brazil, is a senior research entomologist with Embrapa. He spent most of his career working at the National Soybean Research Center, in Londrina, PR. He is associated with the Embrapa Wheat Research Center in Passo Fundo, RS, where he is researching stink bug (pentatomid) bioecology on cultivated and non-cultivated host plants, and their management on major commodities such as soybean, wheat, and corn. Today, the world is becoming interconnected, as a huge matrix. Everything seems to happen quickly, in all places, and at the same time. At the meeting of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) held in Austin, Texas, 10-13 November 2013, the theme was “Science Impacting a Connected World” ( http://www.entsoc.org/entomology2013 ). The theme of the upcoming International Congress of Entomology (ICE 2016), to be held in Orlando, Florida, 25-30 September 2016 is “Entomology Without Borders ” ( http://www.ice2016orlando.org ). The themes of these two meetings illustrate the tendency to consider all things interconnected. Insects do not have political boundaries as we humans do; they move around, driven by their adaptability to new environments, independently of countries’ frontiers. Invasive (exotic) species are regarded as an enormous challenge today. Considering all taxa, they are estimated to cause $1 trillion in losses worldwide each year ( Oeke and Dehne 2004 ). Just in the U.S., invasive species are estimated to cause more than $140 billion in losses per year ( Pimentel et al. 2005 ). These are data from 10 years ago, and this situation has certainly grown worse. In addition, once present, invasive species are difficult to contain and even harder to eradicate. Recently, Gutierrez and Ponti (2013) stated that it is important to conduct analyses of exotic pests based on models (such as those considering physiological demography and ecological niches). These models serve as dynamic libraries of the biology of pests and allow the development of testable management scenarios. In this article, invasive pest species of stink bugs (Pentatomidae; Neotropical and otherwise) already established in the U.S. are discussed, as well as species from the Neotropical region with the potential to invade the U.S., based on their present pest status, geographical distribution, and growing abundance. In recent years, several species of pentatomids have accidentally invaded the U.S. and became established. Because of their polyphagy and ability to adapt to a new environment in a relatively short amount of time, they have become abundant and reached pest status on many cultivated plants. The following species are recent invaders of the U.S. that have become troublesome. The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål). This Asian pentatomid was introduced accidentally into the U.S. around 1996 in Allentown, Pennsylvania ( Hoebeke and Carter 2003 ). Since its introduction, it has spread to more than 38 states because of its extreme polyphagy on cultivated and non-cultivated plants ( Leskey et al. 2012 ). In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, H. halys is univoltine, but in warmer areas, it may have multiple generations per year ( Nielsen et al. 2008a ). In Asian countries, where it is native, it is a pest of legumes, such as soybean, green beans, and fruit trees, including apple, citrus, and pear (references in Hoebeke and Carter 2003 ). In addition to being a crop pest, H. halys (= mista ) overwinters in buildings in its native area (Watanabe et al. 1994a, b) and in the U.S. ( Nielsen and Hamilton 2009 ), and therefore is also a nuisance pest. Because of its growing abundance and damaging impact, several insecticides have been tested to design effective control measures ( Nielsen et al. 2008b , Lee et al. 2013 ). As an example of the importance of the brown marmorated stink bug in the U.S., at the 2013 meeting of the ESA, 35 contributions regarding H. halys , including oral presentations and posters, were presented ( http://www.entsoc.org/entomology2013 ). The bagrada or painted stink bug, Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister). This stink bug was first reported in the U.S. in Los Angeles Co., California, in June 2008. Since that time, it has expanded from southern coastal California to five additional states (Reed et al. 2012). Native to Africa, India, and Asia, it has long been known as a pest of brassicaceous crops (Brassicaceae) ( Sahito et al. 2010 , Malik et al. 2012 ). Several studies have been conducted in the U.S. on its seasonality and host range (Reid et al. 2012). A complete set of data on its distribution, present situation, and ongoing research can be found on the website for the Center for Invasive Species Research (CISR) of the University of California-Riverside ( http://cisr.ucr.edu/bagrada_bug.html ). B. hilaris was the subject of 15 contributions, including oral presentations and posters, at the 2013 ESA meetings ( http://www.entsoc