Jhalendra Rijal, Adriana Medina

University of California Coop. Ext. & Statewide IPM

Program

Joanna Fisher, Frank Zalom

UC Davis, Dept. of Entomology and Nematology

www.pestworld.org

~5/8 inch long, marble brown

Photo: Doug Pfeiffer, Virginia Tech

In 2010, $ 37 million loss reported by Apple Industry in Mid-Atlantic States

Established in 15 Counties

Modesto

First detection

July 2015

Severe

nuisance

problem

since

Fall 2013

Infestation in

crops

Consperse Stink Bug Euschistus conpersus

Brown marmorated Stink Bug Halyomorpha halys

Rough Stink Bug, Brochymena quadripustulata

http://www.stopbmsb.org/stink-bug-basics/look-alike-insects/

BMSB

BMSB

Rough Stink Bug BMSB

Eggs/1st instar nymphs

White bands on

legs and antennae

http://www.stopbmsb.org/stopBMSB/assets/File/BMSB-in-Vegetables-English.pdf

Bergh et al. 2016

During the winter

Overwinter near farmland in homes, office buildings, warehouses

T. Leskey

http://www.stopbmsb.org

BMSB Feeding Damage to Grapes

Stopbmsb.org

Sour rot

All Deciduous

Tree Fruit & Nut

Crop Distribution

in California

1.3 million

acres

365,000

acres

18,000

acres

30,000

acres

Statistical information: NASS 2015

301,000

acres Lab study

880,000

acres

Urban and Agriculture Interface in San Joaquin Valley

Increased BMSB Activity in the Area

Cherry

Walnut

Almond

Walnut

Walnut

Almond

Peach

Peach

N

2016-BMSB in CA Crops (First Report)

Peach

0

5

10

15

20

25

Trece Alpha Scents

Seasonal total BMSB

adults/4 traps

Rijal and Duncan, 2017

BMSB Injury to Peach-Stanislaus

County (Early, Mid- to Late Season)

In this site,

• All BMSB life stages

found

• Excessive gumming

• Shriveled nuts still

on the tree

• Injury to the different

stages of the fruit

development

2017-BMSB infestation in almonds

(First Report)

2017-BMSB infestation in almonds

(First Report) 2017-BMSB infestation in almonds

(First Report)

Rijal and Gyawaly 2018, Insects, 9(4):126

2018-BMSB Infestation in Commercial Orchards

Substantial Nut Drop by BMSB Feeding in

Commercial Orchards (late April)

4 ft

tall

Pyramid Trap Sticky Panel Trap (6x12 inch)

4 ft

tall

• 3 orchards in 2017

(4 pyramid and 4

sticky panel traps)

• 7 orchards in 2018

(3 pyramid and 3

sticky panel traps)

2018-BMSB Infestation in Almonds

(Light Infestation)

0

3

6

9

12

15

Shoemake HWY 132 Vernalis Crows Landing Bent

Seasonal total BMSB capture in almond sites (N = 5) with low BMSB population

Adult-Sticky Adult-Pyramid Nymphs (Sticky + Pyramid)

2018-BMSB Infestation in Almonds

0

20

40

60

80

100

Male Female nymphs

Total seasonal BMSB capture-Tegner site

0

100

200

300

400

500

Male Female nymphs

Total seasonal BMSB capture-Letteau site

(Heavy Infestation)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40W

ells

ford

Griffith

Blo

ss

San

ta F

e 1

San

ta F

e 2

Cro

ws

Landin

g

Turlock

Wells

ford

Em

pire

Cro

ws

Landin

g

2018 2017

Tota

l seasonal H

. haly

s c

aptu

red

Sticky Pyramid

Trécé dual lure (murgantiol & MDT)

4 ft tall

Sticky Panel Trap • Put couple of traps

(minimum 3 traps

with BMSB lure) in

border rows

beginning March

• Change lure in every

12 wks,

• Check and change

the sticky panel as

needed

2018-Temporal Feeding Study in Almonds

2 varieties: Nonpareil and

Monterey

Cages (20x30cm) placed at early

fruit set covering 7-15 nuts/cage

9 cages/variety infested with 3

BMSB adults/cage weekly

Last wk. of March (Wk. 1) to

harvest (July-Aug, Wk. 18-22)

Nut size, nut development stage,

drop nuts, injury category, shell

(endocarp) hardness

Percent nut drop after 21 days of

BMSB infestation (var. Nonpareil)

27 March 9 May

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7

Infested Control

Percent nut drop after 21 days of

BMSB infestation (var. Monterey)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7

Infested

Control

27 March 9 May

External gumming Shriveled and dried

Brownish speckles

Yellow nuts

Types of Injury Observed in Almonds

Pinhole Water-soaked spots

Brown endosperm

Internal gumming

Necrotic spots

Types of Injury Observed in Almonds

Control Infested

Injury to developing nuts after 21 days

of BMSB infestation (Wk 3, April 11)

Infested Control

Injury to developing nuts after 21 days

of BMSB infestation (Wk 5, April 25)

Infested Control

Injury to developing nuts after 21 days

of BMSB infestation (Wk 14, June 26)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

% in

jury

Hull with nectrotic feeding spot (internal)

Shell with nectotic feeding spot (external)

Feeding injury to hull (exocarp) and shell (endocarp):

% damaged hull and shell by weekly BMSB

infestation (var. Nonpareil)

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

Pro

port

ion o

f dam

ag

ed k

ern

el

Time after fruit set (weeks)

Injury to kernel at harvest

Gumming

Dark spot(s)

Damage to kernels (at harvest) by weekly BMSB infestation

during the almond development period (var. Nonpareil)

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Pro

port

ion o

f dam

ag

ed k

ern

el

Time after fruit set (weeks)

Injury to kernel at harvest Gumming

Dark spot(s)

Damage to kernels (at harvest) by weekly BMSB infestation

during the almond development period (var. Monterey)

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Pro

port

ion o

f dam

aged k

ern

el

Time after fruit set (weeks)

Monterey Nonpareil

Damage to kernels (at harvest) by weekly BMSB

infestation-

Severe shriveling and presence of dimples/depression

BMSB

damage at

harvest

(Monterey)

Kernel damage by BMSB (var. Monterey)

April

May

1st-2nd wk June

3rd -4th wk June

Control

August

Kernel damage by BMSB (var. Nonpareil)

April- May

June

1st wk July

2nd wk July

Control

TA.XT Plus texture analyzer

y = 0.0032x - 21.662 R² = 0.3728 P = 0.012

0

20

40

60

80

100

10000 15000 20000 25000

% h

ealthy k

ern

el

Penetration force (g/sec)

Shell hardness vs. healthy kernel

(at harvest) relationship

Conclusion

• BMSB is moving into CA crop growing areas, slowly,

but steadily……

• Reproducing population of BMSB was first found in

peaches (2016) and almonds (2017) in the northern

San Joaquin Valley

• Almonds (along with peach) seems to be one of the

preferred hosts, based on the feeding observations in

past 2 years

• BMSB can cause injury to the developing nuts from

early stage to until the harvest

• Use of sticky trap and visual sampling recommended

USDA-NIFA SCRI

2016-51181-25409

Thanks to:

Cooperator Growers,

Pest Control Advisors,

Dr. Pickett lab-CDFA

Help from: Daniel Green, Tania Herrera

Raquel Gomez, Emily Buerer