Abundance, diversity, and phenology of stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Missouri soybeans

Abstract

Stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) are among the most economically important insect pests of soybeans in Missouri. However, the community composition, abundance, spatial patterns, and phenology remain poorly understood across different ecoregions in the state. We conducted a statewide survey of stink bugs in commercial soybean fields during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons to address this gap. Sweep net sampling was conducted at the field edge and interior of 316 soybean fields. A total of 2,718 stink bugs, representing nine species, were collected. Chinavia hilaris (Say) was the dominant species, accounting for >80% of all individuals, followed by Euschistus variolarius (Palisot de Beauvois) and Euschistus servus (Say) (10.55% and 5.89%, respectively). Halyomorpha halys (Stål) was detected at low frequencies in 5 locations. The abundance of C. hilaris was significantly greater at field edges than in interiors and differed among ecoregions, whereas the abundance of the Euschistus complex showed regional differences that varied between the growing seasons. Species diversity differed among ecoregions, with the highest Shannon diversity observed in the Salem Plateau. Stink bug abundance was low during vegetative and early reproductive stages, followed by rapid population increases beginning at R5 and peaking at R6, driven primarily by the presence of nymphs. These results provide the first comprehensive, statewide assessment of stink bug community and spatial distribution in Missouri soybeans that can be used to optimize scouting timing and improve management decisions.