Stink bugs (Pentatomidae) as crop pests and methods of their control

Abstract

Sixty percent of all known true bugs (Heteroptera) are phytophagous. Economically the most important species belong to Cimicomorpha and Pentatomomorpha groups. The representatives of the latter are specially important, since they are harmful on cultivated plants. The Pentatomidae family is the 3rd largest from the Heteroptera (sub)order, and its the most harmful representative in Slovenia and in neighbouring countries is Eurydema ventrale. It is specially important because of the lack of insecticides registered against this pest in Brassica crops, where it occur most numerously. Beside this the species does not have any efficient natural enemy. Notwithstanding it is possible to reduce the number of E. ventrale below the economic threshold with the use of some environmentally acceptable control measures. In this context the choice of suitable host plants is very important, especially with the aim of use their natural resistance as well as for the purposes of other environmentally acceptable control measures (intercropping, trap crops etc.).