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Abstract
The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is an invasive insect pest that has established populations in both Europe and North America. This polyphagous insect feeds on a wide array of crops, including both kiwifruit and cherry. The objectives of this study were to 1) characterize the BMSB feeding damage on cherry in regards to insect density and duration of exposure of the fruit to feeding BMSB 2) characterize the feeding damage on kiwifruit in regards to insect density and fruit maturation stage 3) evaluate the spatial and temporal patterns of BMSB in kiwifruit orchards in the Veneto region of Italy, taking proximity to the Brenta River, field surroundings, and location within the orchard, and kiwifruit maturation stage into consideration. We found strong evidence that BMSB is a viable candidate to becoming a severe pest in both cherry and kiwifruit production in Italy. We also found that proximity to the Brenta River had a strong effect on BMSB abundance in kiwifruit orchards.