The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) Halyomorpha halys is an invasive species of the shield bug family. It has been intercepted in the UK on several occasions, likely posing a ‘when’ not ‘if’ risk to crops. The BMSB attacks a wide range of hosts including raspberry and sweet cherry, two main soft and stone fruit crops grown in Scotland. The conditions in Scotland appear to be suitable for the establishment of this pest and the Scottish soft fruit industry are concerned about the threat. The soft fruit industry trades with countries with strict biosecurity measures for this pest, and assurances are being sought to verify that every measure is being taken to assess whether the pest is present in Scotland. A failure to do this could have economic consequences for both local markets and on Scottish export markets. This project will survey for BMSB presence and model the potential spread of BMSB in Scotland, including the likely effects of climate change.

Impact: Investigate the suitability of the Scottish climate for establishment and spread of the pest should it be introduced to provide data for a Scottish-specific BMSB risk assessment.