Characterizing damage potential of the brown marmorated stink bug in cherry orchards in Italy

Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), brown marmorated stink bug, is a highly polyphagous agricultural pest and urban nuisance. Native to Asia, it was first detected in North America in 1996 and Europe in 2004. Feeding damage has been described in many different horticultural and row crops. However, there are no reports in the literature about economic damage to cherry [Prunus avium (L.) L.]. This study was conducted in the Veneto region of Italy and the objective was to evaluate and characterize H. halys feeding injury and damage on cherry fruits. Different numbers of stink bugs were confined to developing cherry fruits using mesh cages for one-to two-week periods. Potential injury on cherry was then assessed by quantifying changes in the number of salivary sheaths present, weight, percent deformation, and fungal presence on each fruit. Increasing H. halys infestation density decreased fruit weight, while increasing numbers of salivary sheaths. Similarly, increased infestation density decreased number of marketable cherries and overall yield. Halyomorpha halys infestations were correlated with increased number of fruits with fungal infections. These data suggest that H. halys may exhibit a considerable damage potential for cherry production.