Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), An Invasive Stink Bug Attacking Cole Crops in the Southwestern United States

An invasive stink bug, Bagrada hilaris (Burmeister) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), was discovered in the Western Hemisphere in 2008 near Los Angeles, CA, presumably introduced on container shipments arriving at the Port of Long Beach. In the subsequent 4 years, it has spread throughout southern California, southern areas of Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, southern and west-central New Mexico, and extreme western Texas. We initiated studies on the seasonality and host range of this invasive insect as it adapts to this non-native habitat. We have learned that the bagrada bug has a single population peak between July and October in urban areas dominated by native and introduced weeds, and two population peaks (March-May and September-November) timed with the production of cole crops in agricultural areas. In greenhouse tests, wefound 14 plants on which bagrada bug fed heavily, out of 38 agricultural crops and weed plants evaluated. The opportunistic use of host plants other than crucifers, the use of soil oviposition sites, and tolerance of warm climates may contribute to its invasive potential.