Keeping the brown marmorated stink bug out of New Zealand

Abstract

Halyomorpha halys, commonly known as the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), is a severe crop and fruit pest that originated from Eastern Asia. In the mid-1990s an invasion of BMSB was detected in Pennsylvania USA. The species is highly polyphagous. Within its native range, there are reports of occasional losses of fruit crops including apple, peach, pear and persimmon. In 2010, populations in the USA hit a record high, and commercial fruit orchards incurred substantial losses. Generally, orchard plots most at risk are those bordered by a forest, as the BMSB tends to move regularly between shelter areas (in the forest) and feeding areas in orchards. Due to this behaviour, the worst BMSB damage is found at the edges of orchards bordered by forests or hedge rows. However, during population outbreaks, high levels of damage can occur orchard-wide. Another concern is that BMSB is a vector of a phytoplasma that causes witches’ broom in Paulownia trees, a favourite host tree.