Insect Pest - Invasive

I have seen and have gotten reports of (and some really nice pictures of) stinkbug damage in tomatoes over the past few weeks from all over Maryland including the Eastern Shore. Stinkbug feeding damage is called cloudy spot in tomato fruit (fig. 1). It occurs when the adult or immature stinkbug puts its needle-like mouth parts into the fruit and removes material from a large number of cells. On green fruit the damage appears as whitish areas with a black dot in the center and indistinct borders (fig. 2) on ripe fruit the spots are golden yellow (fig. 1).

All adult stink bugs are shield shaped. Phytophagus: Green and southern green stink bugs are light green and measure ½" to ¾" long. The green stink bug is bordered by a narrow, orange-yellow line around most of its body (Fig. 1). Brown stink bugs are dull brownish-yellow in color and about ½" long (Fig. 2). The Brown Marmorated stinkbug is a newly introduced pest to the Mid-Atlantic area and can be distinguished from other brown stink bugs by their lighter bands on the antennae and darker bands on the overlapping part at the rear of the front pair of wings (Fig 3).

There has been a large and rapid increase in brown marmorated stink bug BMSB) in some pepper fields in the past week in central Maryland. Numbers just two weeks ago in these areas were very low with just a few nymphs observed. We know that BMSB populations tend to increase in August and through the fall into the first frost, but this was such a rapid increase that a great deal of damage was done to bell and banana peppers.

The Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) Halyomorpha halys (Figs. 1 and 1a) was accidentally introduced into the United States in shipping containers arriving from Asia. The first confirmed specimen was collected in Allentown, PA in October 2001, although there is evidence that it was collected from black light traps in New Jersey as early as 2000.

The News and Notes roundup for this issue features a way to get caught up on this fall's Woodland Wildlife Wednesday webinars, a way to remove adult Spotted Lanternflies using an empty water bottle, how to have your business listed in our new Natural Area Management Services Providers Directory, and how to order seedlings for spring planting projects from the Maryland State Nursery.

The spotted lanternfly (SLF) is a colorful non-native, invasive pest native to Asia that was first detected in the United States in 2014 in Berks County, Pennsylvania. In addition to Pennsylvania, it has been confirmed in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Virginia. In Maryland, Cecil and Harford Counties are under a quarantine. The first instar hatch was recorded in Cecil County in May 2020.

Entomopathogens are bacteria, fungi, protozoans or viruses that can infect and subsequently cause disease in insects and other arthropods. They can indirectly impact cropping systems by serving as naturally suppressors of insect and mite pests. When there are epizootic outbreaks, entomopathogens are capable of causing rapid declines in large populations of their arthropod hosts. Many of these naturally occurring pathogens have been formulated and commercialized as insecticides.

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) has become a state-wide problem in Maryland vineyards, and its range and damage is increasing. The full impact on vineyards and wine quality potential of this newly introduced pest is unclear. TimelyVit — Part 1 — was created to give growers background on the pest and this TimelyVit will address some management options. Regretfully, it must be stressed that this is a new “introduced” pest and very little is currently known of its management, thresholds for management.

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) has become a state-wide problem in Maryland and Mid-Atlantic vineyards, and its range and damage is increasing. The full impact on vineyards and wine quality potential of this newly introduced pest is unclear. TimelyVit BMSB Part 1 gives background on the pest and TimelyVit BMSB Part 2 addresses management options. This TimelyVit BMSB Part 3 discusses fruit damage and the latest research on juice and wine taint during harvest, processing, and fermentation. Again it must be emphasized that this is a new “introduced” pest and very little is currently known of its management, thresholds for management.

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) has been a localized problem in Maryland thus far but that may be expected to change in the future. The full impact on vineyards and wine quality potential of this newly introduced pest is unclear. This Timely Viticulture was created to give growers some background on the pest. The next TimelyVit will address some potential management options. Regretfully, it must be stressed from the beginning that this is a new “introduced” pest and very little is currently known of its biology, but it is evident that it has the potential to be a very significant pest.