The Australian Chief Plant Protection Officer is pleased to announce the upcoming webinar on ‘Research on the brown marmorated stink bug and the growing menace of other pest stink bugs’.

When: Thursday 28 November 2024, 2pm (AEDT)
Chair: Dr Gabrielle Vivian-Smith, ACPPO

Presenters:

• Professor Gerry Cassis and Dr Marcos Roca-Cusachs (The University of New South Wales)
• Associate Professor Cristiano Schwertner (Federal University of Sao Paulo, Brazil)

 In this webinar, the presenters will discuss research into the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) (Halyomorpha halys).

 The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug has been one of the most invasive insects worldwide over the past 25 years. Despite its notoriety, the taxonomy of the species is vexed like few others. Historical collections, the literature and public-facing DNA sequences are replete with either misidentifications, lack of a diagnostic protocol (including the current shortfalls in accurately discriminating females from congeners), lost types and specimen rarity, as well as few stink bug specialists.

 Professor Cassis leads a team from Brazil, Czechia, India, Spain and the USA on solving the taxon boundaries and relationships of the core Halyomorpha complex, and allied taxa in the stink bug tribe Cappaeini. This team is using a combination of morphological, phylogenomic, integrated taxonomy and micro-CT methods. In this presentation they cover their research findings to date, that includes breakthroughs in the classification of Halyomorpha halys, from species to higher taxonomic levels. They illustrate that their approach will enhance rapid diagnostics, underpinned by the following intrinsic data: (1) type-verified identification of voucher specimens; (2) barcode and phylogenomic sequences; (3) polythetic morphological diagnosis; and, (4) illustrated identification keys.

 This work is also backed up with exhaustive research on locating and studying type material. These data are coupled with documentation of host plants and distribution that are needed for identifying future threats to commodity crops in our region and ring fencing Australia from future BMSB incursions. They will also present current challenges of identifying other high risk stink bug species that are either being intercepted by the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries or are emerging invasive species in other parts of the world.

 The team will highlight examples, including species of the genera Euschistus and Diceraeus, which are emerging pests of soybeans in North and South America. They will conclude with how their systematics framework is a nexus between research and frontline diagnostics and will address the ongoing gap in adequate species identifications, and how they are using the whole taxonomic hierarchy to fast-track solutions.

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