Distribution and damage caused by Halyomorpha halys in Italy

Since the first occurrence of Halyomorpha halys (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Italy in 2012, the pest has spread in the Po Valley causing severe damage in summer 2015, particularly in pear orchards. At present, populations of H. halys have been reported in the regions of Emilia-Romagna (Modena, Reggio Emilia and Bologna provinces), Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto and Friuli. The damage caused by H. halys is typical of pentatomids and is aggravated by the pest's polyphagy and by the behaviour of adults which move continuously from plant to plant, from hedges or herbaceous crops to fruit orchards. The unpredictability of H. halys’ movements, along with the effect of the aggregating pheromone that concentrates the pest in certain areas of the orchards, therefore making chemical spraying complicated.