The spined soldier bug, Podisus maculiventris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a generalist predator commonly found in North America. The spined soldier bug can feed on more than 70 species of insects including immature stages of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. The spined soldier bug can inhabit various agricultural ecosystems (i.e. crop fields, forests, and grasslands) and plays a key role in the control of major insect pests. The spined solider bug has high the potential for augmentative biological control because it has a high reproduction rate. In 2016, 500 eggs of the spined soldier bug were introduced to South Korea from U.S.A. under the cooperative research project between West Virginia University and the National Institute of Agricultural Science (NIAS), Rural Development Administration. Currently the spined soldier bug is being reared in a quarantined facility at NIAS. In this presentation, we will describe the natural history of the spined soldier bug in North America including its feeding ability as a generalist predator, its potential for biological control of various agricultural and forest pests, and its response to aggregation pheromone. In addition, current research at West Virginia University including mass rearing and aerial release using unmanned aerial vehicles (a.k.a. drones) of the spined soldier bug will be presented.

• Yong-Lak Park(West Virginia University)
• Bo Yoon Seo(National Institute of Agricultural Science)
• Chang-Gyu Park(National Institute of Agricultural Science)