Stink Bug Feeding On Tobacco

LEXINGTON, KY.
   Yellow, brown, or wilted leaves on tobacco plants (Figure 6) may be a sign of feeding by brown stink bugs. These 1/2" long sapfeeding insects inject enzymes that can cause leaf tissue to wilt or collapse. Weather affects the severity of the plant response. At first, stink bug feeding causes a leaf to wilt quickly and turn a darker shade of green. On overcast days, these leaves often recover and grow normally. However, hot sunny conditions can cause the entire leaf to scald, then over the next few days turn brown and die. Injured plants often are most common along field margins but if stink bugs are abundant, they can be scattered over the field.
   The damage usually is not obvious for several days so the bugs often have left the field. Stink bugs are good fliers and move frequently from plant to plant as well as into and out of the field. Because of their movement and generally minimal damage, insecticide applications are rarely justified. Δ
DR. LEE TOWNSEND: Extension Entomologist, University of Kentucky
Figure 6.Wilted, yellow leaf due to stink bug feeding