Collegiate Assistant Professor Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
Brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) is a domestic nuisance and agricultural pest of international significance. The public is mostly familiar with this insect for its use of homes as overwintering shelter. Each fall, H. halys move about on building exteriors seeking entrance and refuge. Building exteriors tend to be geometrically complex, with various joints, protrusions, and openings. Most of these discontinuities include straight vertical or horizontal lines. The response of ambulatory H. halys to these discontinuities could impact which openings H. halys find, and therefore whether or not they enter cavities in the building envelope, or living spaces. This experiment examined the interruption of ambulatory movement of H. halys in a vertical plane by horizontal obstructions. Rectangular wooden dowels of various sizes were affixed to the side of an arena, into which adult shelter seeking H. halys were released and allowed to walk up the obstructed wall. While no dowel completely stopped vertical movement, there was a significant difference between dowels extending 6 mm or more, and those extending less. This generally held true for the number of H. halys of both sexes crossing the dowel, moving >2 mm or >10 mm along the underside of the dowel, or remaining under the dowel at least 15 seconds after contact. These results could be meaningful in understanding interactions of H. halys with various cladding systems. They could also be useful in control, including redirection and trap placement.
