Abstract:
Knowledge of the biology of a pest is essential for building sustainable management
programmes. Pentatomidae have a hemimetabolous life cycle with egg, nymphal, and adult life
stages, which differ in morphological, ecological, and behavioural traits. Some of these traits, such
as mating behaviour, pheromones (alarm and aggregation pheromones) and the acquisition of gut
symbionts can be targeted for pest management strategies. Here, we review the available literature
on these life history traits of the Pentatomidae with potential for use in management programmes.
Pheromone-mediated aggregation and the disruption of symbiont acquisition are two important
targets for Pentatomidae control. Other traits such as the use of alarm pheromones for enhancing
natural enemies and substrate-borne vibration for mating disruption deserve further consideration.
Colour vision and flight ability are still poorly studied, despite their potential importance for stink
bug management.
