Efficacy of entomopathogenic nematodes present in Việt Nam against brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) under laboratory conditions

The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys), a native of Asia, has become an invasive pest in North America and Europe. Given the severity of H. halys and the need for better and environmentally-friendly control methods for this pest, we evaluated the virulence four entomopathogenic nematode species (Heterorhabditis indica, Oscheius myriophilus, Steinernema eapokense and Steinernema pakistanense) that occur naturally in soils in southern Việt Nam and compared them with that of a commercially available strain of S. carpocapsae. We report for the first time the pathogenicity of Oscheius myriophilus towards BMSB. The commercial strain of S. carpocapsae was most virulent against BMSB. However, the strain of S. pakistanense isolated from soil in southern Việt Nam has potential for the biological control of this pest. To achieve this potential, further work is needed including evaluation in the field and with the formulation of the nematode inoculum.