The key results of the experiments performed to control a native and two invasive species of stink bugs in fruit production are as follows:
• In national monitoring, numbers of H. halys have declined in recent years. The damage in monitored fruit plots has also decreased.
• Laboratory trials showed that entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana GHA and the insecticide Spinosad led to a higher mortality rate of native red-legged shield bug P. rufipes than the non-sprayed control. In contrast, the entomopathogenic fungi did not affect the mortality of the of the Southern green stink bug N. viridula.
• Field and laboratory efficacy trials against stink bug nymphs showed that the active in-gredient Acetamiprid has a good effect against the species H. halys and P. rufipes. Spinosad and Spinetoram were less effective.
• Although laboratory tests were promising, sun flowers were not effective as trap plants in the field trial conducted in 2022. Further research should identify new potential plant species to be used as trap plants as well as re-test sunflowers as field margins, i.e. in larger numbers than used in the field trial of 2022.
• Only a small fraction of the eggs of the green shield bug N. viridula were preyed upon in the field (up to 6 %) whereas a much larger fraction of the eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth E. kuehniella were eaten by generalist predators (up to 79 %).
• Insect nets reduce the fruit damage by H. halys in pears but fail to protect the crop from damage completely