Stink bug species composition and risk of economic damage in the southeastern soybean cropping systems

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) have emerged as an important pest species complex in soybean production systems across the southeastern United States. Changing cropping practices and climatic conditions are reshaping the stink bug communities in the region. Understanding community differences will be important to tailor integrated pest management programs sensitive to variation in species composition. In this 3-year study (2022-2024), we characterized stink bug diversity and abundance in 154 commercial soybean fields distributed across 3 soybean-producing ecoregions (Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Mountains) in 2 southeastern states, North Carolina and Virginia. Standardized 25-sweep samples were collected at 10 locations per field during the soybean reproductive stages. Field-level samples were used to evaluate the probability of exceeding the recommended economic threshold for damage. We observed differences in stink bug community composition and spatial variation in the distribution of common stink bug species across the ecoregions. Additionally, the risk of soybean fields exceeding the recommended economic threshold differed across the ecoregions, with the Mountain region at the greatest risk. This result highlights the importance of regionally specific scouting and management recommendations that are sensitive to species composition differences. This work also provides a benchmark to assess range shifts of stink bug species in North Carolina and Virginia.