Cold winter temperatures govern the distribution and abundance of many insect species, but refugia that provide microclimates can moderate temperature-driven mortality. Winter temperatures have been implicated in limiting the survival and range of Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae; redbanded stink bug), an economically damaging invasive pest in the southeastern United States, but the role of refugia in overwintering survival of this pest is poorly understood. We conducted 2 studies in successive years to evaluate how leaf litter from hardwoods, pines, and soybeans modulate overwintering site selection and survival of P. guildinii. In the second-year study, we also quantified the buffering effect of the 3 leaf litter types compared to ambient conditions and assessed diapause. In the first-year study, we found that stink bugs preferentially dispersed into leaf litter compared with remaining unsheltered on bare soil; no clear preference among leaf litter types was found. In the second year, however, no clear differences were found among leaf litter types and bare soil. Means of daily minimum temperatures under leaf litter were at least 3.0 ± 0.9 °C (SE) warmer and generally less variable than ambient conditions. While high mortality in both studies illustrates that more work must be done to fully understand overwintering survival, limited survival through potentially lethal conditions in the first-year study nonetheless emphasizes the possibility of populations persisting and rebounding in the following spring. Furthermore, our study highlights the potential for stink bugs to persist in areas with lethal ambient temperatures by dispersing into widely available substrates.

中文翻译：

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大豆非本地害虫红带蝽（半翅目：蝽科）的越冬地点选择和相关小气候

寒冷的冬季温度决定了许多昆虫物种的分布和丰度，但提供小气候的避难所可以降低温度驱动的死亡率。冬季温度限制了 Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood)（半翅目：蝽科；红带椿象）的生存和活动范围，这种害虫是美国东南部具有经济破坏性的入侵性害虫，但避难所在这种害虫越冬生存中的作用是不太了解。我们连续几年进行了两项研究，以评估硬木、松树和大豆的落叶层如何调节 P. guildinii 的越冬地点选择和生存。在第二年的研究中，我们还量化了 3 种落叶类型与环境条件相比的缓冲效应并评估了滞育。在第一年的研究中，我们发现与在裸露的土壤上不受庇护的臭虫相比，臭虫优先分散到落叶层中；没有发现落叶类型之间存在明显的偏好。然而，在第二年，落叶层类型和裸土之间没有发现明显差异。落叶层下的每日最低温度平均值比环境条件高至少 3.0 ± 0.9 °C (SE)，且变化通常较小。虽然两项研究中的高死亡率表明，必须做更多的工作来充分了解越冬生存，但第一年研究中潜在致命条件导致的有限生存仍然强调了种群在来年春天持续存在和反弹的可能性。此外，我们的研究强调了椿象通过扩散到广泛可用的基质中而在具有致命环境温度的地区持续存在的可能性。