Southern green stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) damage to fresh market tomatoes

Damage by southern green stink bug (SGSB), Nezara viridula (L.), to fresh market tomatoes, Lycopersicum esculentum Mill., was studied during 1983 and 1984. The effect of tomato fruit size and SGSB density and feeding duration on tomato circumference, weight, and days to maturity, as well as SGSB feeding frequency as indicated by the deposition of stylet sheaths, was quantified. Density and feeding duration had a significant effect on all four damage indices. Feeding frequency was influenced by density and feeding duration in a complex, nonadditive manner, but was not affected by fruit size. Most of the other relationships between infestation levels and the growth of tomatoes were linear, indicating that tomatoes would sustain a significant linear reduction in growth with incremental increases in SGSB density and feeding duration. The interactive effect of density and feeding duration was nonsignificant across all fruit damage indices. Feeding damage induced an early maturity of fruit and thereby reduced fruit size and weight