Trapping for early detection of the brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys, in New Zealand

The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) would have wide-ranging and likely devastating effects on New Zealand’s horticultural industries if it were to establish here. This insect has spread rapidly around the world, becoming pestiferous only a few years after detection; therefore, there will be limited time to develop management strategies to prevent damage if viable BMSB populations were to establish in New Zealand. Lures containing BMSB pheromone paired with 92 sticky panels were deployed near transitional facilities and other potentially high-risk entry points in the Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and Nelson regions. Traps were monitored fortnightly from November 2018 to April 2019 and all pentatomid species identified and enumerated. No BMSB were captured, but seven other pentatomid species were caught. Numbers and species varied among site, region and date. The phenology of the pentatomids captured supports reports of one to two generations occurring in pipfruitproduction regions depending on growing-degree days. The phenologies of the pentatomid species caught suggest that any control measures for prevention of fruit damage by BMSB would be limited to late summer. A number of recommendations for a BMSB monitoring programme are provided.