Enhancing early detection and monitoring of <i>Halyomorpha halys</i> (Stål 1855) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae): field evaluation of a novel wind-orienting, pheromone-baited tunnel trap

The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys (Stål, 1855); Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), commonly known as BMSB, is a highly invasive plant-feeding insect pest that poses a serious threat to the agriculture, environment, and economy of Australia, New Zealand, and beyond. Effective technologies for BMSB detection and delimitation during an incursion are crucial to support eradication efforts including for assessing control measures' efficacy. This study evaluated a wind-orienting, live-catch, pheromone-baited tunnel trap, designed for resilience to diverse weather conditions, ease of storage and transport, and discreet deployment in various habitats. Our field trials conducted in Italy between 2020 and 2022 across several commercial kiwifruit orchards and vineyards tested the tunnel trap against traditional Pherocon sticky panels and CYMA TRAP PRO pyramid traps. Utilizing a generalized linear mixed model with a negative binomial distribution, we analyzed trap efficacy in capturing adult BMSB. The tunnel trap demonstrated superior performance in consistently attracting more adult BMSB than other trap types. The increased catch of the tunnel traps highlighted their promise as a crucial tool for the early detection and control of BMSB populations.