Trap Capture of Brown and Dusky Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) as Affected by Pheromone Dosage in Dispensers and Dispenser Source

Brown, Euschistus servus (Say), and dusky, E. tristigmus (Say), stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) readily respond to traps baited with the Euschistus spp. aggregation pheromone methyl (E, Z) -2,4-decadienoate. Previous studies examining trap capture of these stink bugs have used either laboratory-prepared dispensers or commercial dispensers with various known and unknown pheromone doses. We compared trap captures of E. servus and E. tristigmus using yellow pyramid traps baited with a range of pheromone doses (20 - 120 mu L) loaded onto rubber septa and when baited with 2 commercially available pheromone dispensers. These baited traps were located primarily in or alongside pecan orchards with one exception being alongside a peach/plum orchard. Traps were monitored weekly for 4 wk during 2008 and 2009. Dispensers were either replaced weekly or the same dispenser remained in use for the entire study. All pheromone doses tested resulted in a numerical increase of both E. servus and E. tristigmus captured in traps compared with traps using no pheromone. In each experiment for each species, at least one pheromone dose significantly increased trap capture compared with traps using a septa containing no pheromone. In direct comparisons, neither commercial dispenser ever captured significantly more E. servus or E. tristigmus than traps without pheromone. Numerically higher trap captures were observed with a higher pheromone dose in each of 5 month-long studies. However, captures were not always significantly higher for either species suggesting that other factors affected stink bug capture in pheromone-baited traps. Results from this study could facilitate the use of this stink bug trap as a barrier to impede movement of pest Euschistus spp. into orchards or other crop habitats.