The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys [Stål]) is a relatively new pest in Slovenia that first appeared on the coast in 2017. It is an invasive, non-native species of stink bug originating from Eastern Asia. The brown marmorated stink bug is a polyphagous insect, attacking and feeding on a wide range of plant species, including many that are cultivated for human and animal consumption. The bug causes the most damage during feeding, and it also emits an unpleasant odor. Chemical insecticides are commonly used to control the brown marmorated stink bug, but there is an increasing emphasis on preventive measures due to the decreasing use of phytopharmaceuticals. These preventive measures involve the use of substances that repel harmful organisms or act as attractants in baits. Often, these substances are natural compounds that plants release as a self-defense mechanism against pests and can be present in the plant at all times. Typically, these compounds are essential oils and other volatile secondary metabolites. In this study, we tested the response of the brown marmorated stink bug to selected chemical substances: citronellal, hexanal, nonanol, β-caryophyllene, linalool, ocimene, nerolidol, terpinolen, α-humulene, dimethyl sulfide, pheromone, and ethanol. The experiment was conducted in an olfactometer with three chambers. The central chamber was for the stink bug, while the two side chambers contained the selected chemical substances or water as a control. The experiment was carried out in two series. In the first series, we tested the chemical substances against water, and in the second series, we compared the substances that performed best in the first part of the experiment. In the first series, nerolidol, ocimene, and terpinolen showed the best results as complete repellents, while ethanol acted as an attractant. In the second series, nerolidol proved to be the most effective repellent among all the tested substances
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