CURRENT STATUS OF HALYOMORPHA HALYS IN TURKEY

The brown marmorated stink bug, scientifically known as Halyomorpha halys (Stål, 1855) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is widely recognized as a prominent invasive pest. Since its detection, it has rapidly disseminated to numerous nations worldwide and continues to inflict harm on hundreds of plant species. Halyomorpha halys was recorded for the first time in Türkiye in Istanbul and Artvin in the Eastern Black Sea Region near the border with Georgia in 2017. During the last 7 years, H.halys has spread to all provinces in the Eastern Black Sea Region. It is also reported to have spread to İstanbul, Yalova and Kocaeli provinces in the Marmara Region. The damage status of H. halys varied in the provinces where it was distributed. Especially in areas with monoculture agricultural products, the level of damage and population growth increased significantly. Halyomorpha halys possesses a considerable capacity to cause harm to approximately 300 plant species globally, encompassing agricultural crops, nuts, vegetables, and ornamentals, owing to its extensive range of hosts The most damaged plant in the Eastern Black Sea region is hazelnut, followed by corn and kiwi. As a result of the damage caused by H.halys, the level of damage to hazelnut fruit after emgii was determined to be more than 40% in some districts of the Eastern Black Sea region. However, hazelnuts with excessive damage in this region cannot be sold. The economic loss in hazelnut is estimated to be millions of dollars only for the year 2024. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Turkey has prepared an action plan for this pest species. As a result of this plan, the insect population and damage is expected to decrease.