The objective of this 3-yr study was to determine species composition and abundance of stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) and their natural enemies in alfalfa, Medicago sativa L., in Georgia. Six species of phytophagous stink bugs, Nezara viridula (L.), Euschistus servus (Say), Thyanta custator custator (F.), Euschistus quadrator Rolston, Oebalus pugnax pugnax (F.), and Chinavia hilaris (Say), and one predatory species, Podisus maculiventris (Say), occurred in alfalfa. Generally, density of N. viridula, the predominant stink bug species, was high in seeding alfalfa in the late spring-early summer, and parasitization of this stink bug by Trichopoda pennipes (F.) could reach high levels as density of the pest increased in the crop. Euschistus servus and T. c. custator together comprised the second most predominant group of stink bugs in this crop. Based on seasonal occurrence of nymphs (all 5 instars) and adults, nymphal development time, ovarian development time, and reproductive status of adults (N. viridula only), alfalfa is a reproductive host for N. viridula and E. servus, and perhaps for T. c. custator. Mainly adults of E. quadrator, O. p. pugnax, and C. hilaris were present in the crop. Stink bug predators included Geocoris spp., Orius insidiosus (Say), spiders, lady beetles, nabids, reduviids, and Solenopsis invicta Buren.

The objective of this 4-yr study was to determine species composition and abundance of stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) and a leaffooted bug (Hemiptera: Coreidae) and their predators in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench spp. bicolor] in Georgia. Nezara viridula (L.) was the predominant species in sorghum; density of this stink bug was twice as high as that of the second most abundant stink bug, Oebalus pugnax pugnax (F.). Euschistus servus (Say) was the third most abundant stink bug species. Density of both Leptoglossus phyllopus (L.) and Euschistus quadrator (Rolston) was about half that of E. servus. Chinavia hilaris (Say), Thyanta custator custator (F.), Euschistus tristigmus (Say), Euschistus ictericus (L.), and Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) were minor pests in sorghum. Adult bugs primarily fed on developing seed. For all bug species, except E. tristigmus and E. ictericus, sorghum served as a reproductive host plant. In order of descending overall abundance, bug predators present in sorghum were Orius insidiosus (Say), Geocoris spp. [Geocoris punctipes (Say) and G. uliginosus (Say)], lady beetle species, i.e., Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, Coccinella septempunctata (L.), Coleomegilla maculata (De Geer), and Harmonia axyridis (Pallas), spiders, i.e., Peucetia viridans (Hentz), Oxyopes salticus Hentz, and spiders in the Salticidae and Thomisidae families, Solenopsis invicta Buren, Podisus maculiventris (Say), Sinea diadema (F.), and Nabis spp. Conserving these natural enemies of panicle-feeding bugs in sorghum could possibly be used in management of these bugs in southeastern farmscapes.

Laboratory assays were conducted to assess the potential of pymetrozine, a novel azomethine pyridine insecticide, against the brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Homoptera: Delphacidae). All nymphal instars were treated with the pymetrozine concentrations of 400, 200, 100, 50, 25 mg/l, and then maintained in incubators at 26 ± 1°C on a photoperiod of 16:8 h (L: D). At 24, 48, 72, and 120 h after treatment, mortality was recorded. Greater numbers of nymphs were killed at a faster rate with the higher concentrations (mortality of 70.7% with 400 mg/l and 63.8% with 200 mg/l at 24 h, first -second) than at the median concentrations (mortality of 51.7% with 100 mg/l and 50% with 50 mg/l at 24 h, first -second) and the lower concentration (mortality of 25.9% with 25 mg/l at 24 h, first -second), whereas mortality in the control remained low (3.3% with distilled water at 24 h, first -second). The first and second instars were the most susceptible with median lethal concentrations [LC₅₀] of 76.3, 35.5, 26.6 and 21.96 mg/L at 24, 48, 72 and 120 h after treatment, respectively. Fifth-instars were the least susceptible with the LC₅₀ values of 5,887.53, 758.41, 236.15 and 67.23 mg/L at 24, 48, 72 and 120 h after treatment, respectively. The LC₅₀s of the third - fourth instars were 1737.89, 601.6, 96.21 and 50.14 mg/L at 24, 48, 72 and 120 h after treatment, respectively, and were significantly greater than those of the first - second instars. These results indicate that pymetrozine would be an effective alternative for the control of brown planthopper.

Studies were conducted in Georgia and North Carolina to determine the long-term growth impact of pine tip moth, Rhyacionia spp., attacks on loblolly pines which had been treated with different combinations of insecticides for tip moth control, herbicides for control of competing vegetation, and fertilizer. Height, diameter, and volume responses were significantly greater for tip moth and weed control at age 5, both in Georgia and North Carolina. There was no evidence of a positive response to fertilizer. The largest responses were due to tip moth control, which was the only treatment that retained a significant response through the termination of the study at age 15 in Georgia and age 20 in North Carolina. Stand volumes continued to increase on the tip moth control plots throughout the study with average gains of 3.1 m³/ha/yr (43.8 ft³/acre/yr) at the Georgia site at age 15 and 3.2 m³/ha/yr (45.8 ft³/acre/yr) at age 20 at the North Carolina site. Trees receiving tip moth control also had significantly better form than untreated trees when evaluated at age 5, which may be reflected in higher quality and more valuable forest products at harvest. Treatment responses observed in this study clearly show that tip moth control can provide benefits equal to or greater than other commonly used cultural treatments, and may be necessary to realize anticipated gains from intensive management of loblolly pine plantations when tip moth damage is heavy.

Effects of methyl bromide, ECO₂FUME (phosphine gas CO₂), Vapam (sodium methyldithiocarbamate), chloropicrin, Telone II (1, 3 dichloropropene), and chloropicrin Telone II on killing the pupae and preventing adult emergence of apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh), was determined. In an experiment performed inside glass flasks, pupal mortality caused by all fumigants 7 d after a 4-h exposure was significantly higher than in the control, but effects of the five fumigants on pupal mortality 7 d post exposure did not differ consistently even though chloropicrin caused the highest absolute mortality. In contrast, fumigant effects on adult emergence were consistent and clearer in that chloropicrin, Telone II, and chloropicrin Telone II prevented all emergence of adult flies over 111 - 112 d whereas methyl bromide, ECO₂FUME, and Vapam reduced it by only 41 - 73% compared with controls. The differences in pupal mortality and adult emergence patterns suggest that the fumigants acted slowly. This is the first study that shows chloropicrin, Telone II, and the two in combination could be alternative fumigants to methyl bromide for killing pupae and preventing emergence of R. pomonella.

Trapping experiments targeting brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), addressed the effects of: (1) a modification to the trap container of a commercial trap, (2) the age of methyl (2E,4E,6Z)-decatrienoate lures, and (3) the age of dichlorvos-impregnated kill strips on bug captures. In the trap modification study, ventilation holes in the containers atop standard, commercial AgBio™ traps were modified to resemble a USDA prototype trap. Captures were compared among the standard traps, modified commercial traps, and prototype traps. Halyomorpha halys captures were significantly greater in the prototype trap than in standard commercial traps, whereas captures in modified commercial traps were intermediate between but not significantly different from AgBio or prototype traps. Traps baited with kill strips that were fresh or that had been field-aged for 1, 2, 3 or 4 wk showed no significant differences in the total number of H. halys captured over a 15-d trapping interval, although the percentage of dead bugs was significantly greater in traps containing fresh kill strips than in those with 3- or 4-wk-old kill strips. In the aged lure experiment, captures were not significantly different among traps baited with fresh, 1- and 2-wk-old lures or among those baited with 2-, 3- or 4-wk old lures or unbaited. Most (64.8%) bugs were captured during the first 3-d sample interval, during which traps with fresh lures captured more H. halys than those with each aged lure treatment. Weekly gravimetric measurements to determine the release of methyl (2E,4E,6Z)-decatrienoate from lures over 4 wk showed a sharp decrease in lure weight during the first 3-d interval at 20 and 25°C.

There is much research and resource currently being invested in sweet sorghum, Sorghum bicolor L. Moench, for biofuel in southern Florida. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of planting date and density on insect pests of the crop in southern Florida. Emergent damage was primarily caused by fall armyworms, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), and to a lesser extent by the lesser cornstalk borer, Elasmopalpus lignosellus Zeller. Damage at heading was caused by different species of stink bugs (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). Both emergent damage and numbers of stink bugs at heading varied significantly between planting dates. Correlation analysis showed that planting density had no to little effect on percentage damage by insects to emerging or heading sweet sorghum. Estimated ethanol yield was highest in the first crop of the early planting and decreased thereafter. No consistent effect of planting density or row configuration on yield was shown.