Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T03:34:37.007Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Long-term patterns and feeding sites of southern green stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Hawaii macadamia orchards, and sampling for management decisions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 November 2007

M.G. Wright*
Affiliation:
Department of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Gilmore Hall, 3050 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
P.A. Follett
Affiliation:
U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, USDA-ARS, P.O. Box 4459, Hilo, HI 96720, USA
M. Golden
Affiliation:
Department of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Gilmore Hall, 3050 Maile Way, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
*
*Author for correspondence Fax: +(01) 808 956 2428 E-mail: markwrig@hawaii.edu

Abstract

Southern green stink bug (Nezara viridula, Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a pest of macadamia nuts, causing pitting to kernels by feeding. In spite of its pest status, many aspects of the ecology of this insect in macadamia orchards are poorly understood. This study analyzes long-term N. viridula damage to macadamia nuts and investigates the extent to which damage to nuts occurs in the tree canopy, prior to nut-drop. We show that there are distinct seasonal peaks in damage detected after harvest and that, over six years of data collection, mean damage levels were fairly low, albeit with spikes in damage levels recorded. Sampling nuts at peak harvest periods from different strata in the trees and from the ground showed that incidence of damaged nuts within the canopy was typically half as high as on the fallen nuts. Damage to fallen nuts may have occurred prior to nut-drop, and continued to accumulate after nut-drop. These results show that management of N. viridula within macadamia canopies, as opposed to only on fallen nuts, is important. A sampling procedure and predictive model for estimating late-season damage based on early-season damage samples is provided. The model uses January and March damage measurements (based on samples with set level of accuracy), mean temperature and month of the year for which damage is predicted. Early-season damage of 6–10% predicts late-season damage levels that should justify N. viridula suppression based on the nominal threshold (13% damage) used by kernel processors to reject nuts based on damage.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Binns, M.R., Nyrop, J.P. & van der Werf, W. (2000) Sampling and Monitoring in Crop Protection. 284 pp. Oxon, UK, CABI Publishing.Google Scholar
Golden, M., Follett, P.A. & Wright, M.G. (2006) Assessing Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) feeding damage in macadamia nuts using a biological stain. Journal of Economic Entomology 99, 822827.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hartung, M.E. (1939) The development of the fruit of Macadamia ternifolia. Journal of Agricultural Research 59, 397406.Google Scholar
HASS (2005) Statistics of Hawaii Agriculture, Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. http://www.nass.usda.gov/hiGoogle Scholar
Jones, V.P. (1995) Reassessment of the role of predators and Trissolcus basalis in biological control of southern green stink bug (Hemiptera, Pentatomidae) in Hawaii. Biological Control 5, 566572.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, V.P. (2002) Macadamia integrated pest management: IPM of insects and mites attacking macadamia nuts in Hawaii. 98 pp. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Mānoa.Google Scholar
Jones, V.P. & Caprio, L.C. (1992) Damage estimates and population trends of insects attacking seven macadamia cultivars in Hawaii. Journal of Economic Entomology 85, 18841890.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, V.P. & Caprio, L.C. (1994) Southern green stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) feeding on Hawaiian macadamia nuts: the relative importance of damage occurring in the canopy and on the ground. Journal of Economic Entomology 87, 431435.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jones, V.P., Westcott, D.M., Finson, N.N. & Nishimoto, R.K. (2001) Relationship between community structure and southern green stink bug (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) damage in macadamia nuts. Journal of Economic Entomology 30, 10281035.Google Scholar
Nagao, M.A. (1992) Macadamia: cultivation and physiology. Critical Reviews in Plant Science 10, 441470.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SAS Institute 2001. PROC user's manual, version 6th edition. Cary, NC, SAS Institute.Google Scholar
Shearer, P.W. & Jones, V.P. (1996) Suitability of macadamia nut as a host of Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 89, 9961003.CrossRefGoogle Scholar