A Model for Simulation of Developmental Instars of Halyomorpha halys

This paper proposes a simple model for the development of the invasive brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys). The quadratic equations for the duration of each instar under variable temperatures were obtained by regressions of datasets from an experiment under controlled conditions published by other authors. The thermal efficiency for the development of each temperature record from a data logger is given by the ratio of the minimal duration of the considered instar (duration under optimal temperature to fulfill a specific stage) and the duration of the same stage at a recorded temperature. The simulated stage is considered fulfilled when the sum of the products between record duration and its thermal efficiency is equal to the minimal duration of the considered stage. The model was tested with experimental data obtained from a life table study performed in cages under outdoor weather conditions in the Emilia Romagna region in 2015.