Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/299589
6 4 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | M a y - J u n e 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m UNLIKELY EPICENTER Allentown, Pa., has been iden- tified as the unlikely epicenter of the BMSB incursion. The bug (Halyomorpha halys) is thought to have hit the East Coast on a container ship from Asia through Port Newark, N.J. The container was opened in eastern Pennsyl- vania in the mid- to late-1990s. Another theory is that the bug could have stowed away in a trav- eler's luggage. By the late 2000s, the BMSB was indentified in spots through- out the East, with 2010 remem- bered as the worst year for the insect. It seemed to be every- where in mid-Atlantic vineyards and farms, and caused an esti- mated $30 million in damage to the apple crop. Now it is in at least 40 states, a severe nuisance from Virginia to Pennsylvania and south- west to West Virginia. Identified in Portland, Ore., in 2004, the BMSB logged its first economic toll on ore than a decade after the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) was identified in the United States, the invasive species made its way to vineyards and farms of the eastern U.S. and the Pacific Northwest. While its familiar shield has been found in urban pockets of California, where it invades homes, it could be sever- al more years before it becomes a significant threat to vineyards in the Golden State. The pest's name comes from a shield-like back that resembles markings of a brown marble and distinguishes it from native brown stink bugs and shield bugs. Add to that the "stink" caused by a peculiar defense mechanism, with which the bug excretes an unappe- tizing compound from its abdomen that gives large predators, such as birds, second thoughts about lunch. For winemaking, the stink bug p o s e s s o m e t h i n g o f a d o u b l e threat. Not only does it feed on grape berries, causing necrosis and berry death, it also gets caught up by harvesters and can end up con- taminating the must. + The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) was devastating in some eastern vineyards in 2010. + The bug is now in California, but may take years to spread and grow. + A far-reaching USDA effort to control the pest is underway. + While vintners may be concerned about BMSB contaminating must and wine, research shows taint dissipates over time. + Biocontrols, including para- sitic wasps and a fungus, are under evaluation. AT A GLANCE BY DAVID FALCHEK rown Marmorated Stink Bug Brown Marmorated Stink Bug own Marmorated Stink Bug d Sti k B Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Brown Marmorated Stink Bug n Marmorated Stink Bug d Sti k B Brown Marmorated Stink Bug orated Stink Bug ated Stink Bug morated Stin Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Brown Marm Brown Marmorated Stink Bug rown Marmorated Stink Bug n Marmorated Stink Bug Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Brown Marmorated Stink B New Headache for Growers ew Headache for Growers d h f G r a New Headache for Growers a New Headache for Growers H d h f Growers a New Headache for Gro dache for Gro a New Headache for Growers N Headache for Grower a New He Headache for Growers New Headache for Growers H da h for Growers a New Headache for Growers a New Headache for Growers a New Headache for Growe The brown marmorated stink bug, shown here in its various life stages, has become a problem in the eastern United States. Photo: Wil Hershberger Invasive bug is Invasive bug is as bad s as bad Invasive bug is as ba nvasive bug is as b Invasive bug is as bad s as bad as the name su as the name suggests me suggests as the name suggests as the name suggests gests