On The Lookout For A New Crop Pest
Hannah Fraser at Southwest Crop Diagnostic Days
Farmers could soon be facing a new insect threat in Ontario.
Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs entomologist Hannah Fraser says crop specialists are keeping close tabs on an insect called the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug.
Fraser says the bug, which is native to Asia, has a wide range of host plants, including tree fruits and field crops.
The pest was first spotted in North America ten years ago in Pennsylvania.
Since then, Fraser says the bug has spread to 27 States and is now making inroads into Ontario as it was recently detected in an urban area around Hamilton.
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Although it hasn’t been detected in farm fields, Fraser says farmers are being asked to be on the lookout for the bug.
She says gathering information about the pest in Ontario will help researchers learn more about it, which will then be important for developing potential control strategies.
The key signs include two white bands on dark antennae and white triangles alternating with dark areas at the edge of the bug’s abdomen.
Fraser talked about the bug and explained how to identify it at the Southwest Crop Diagnostic Days at Ridgetown.
More info about the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is available at OMAFRA’s web site.
