Habitat and tree species effects on Trissolcus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) detections in Virginia, USA

Abstract: Yellow sticky traps deployed in mid-canopy of host trees of Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) were used to examine the effect of habitat type and tree species on the frequency of Trissolcus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) detections in Frederick County, Virginia, USA. Traps were deployed in female tree of heaven growing in three habitat types from May through September, 2018, and also deployed in pairs of tree hosts of along forest edges from June through August, 2018; each pair of trees contained female tree of heaven and hackberry, black locust, black walnut, or cherry. Weekly evaluations revealed significantly more T. japonicus captures in hedgerows than at forest edges, and numerically more captures in isolated patches of trees than at the forest edge. Trissolcus japonicus was captured in all host species, with no significant differences between any host pair. In 2018, T. japonicus captures occurred from 11 May until 9 September, with distinct peaks in early July and early August.