Lethal and sub-lethal effects of a novel sulfoximine insecticide,sulfoxaflor, against Asian citrus psyllid and its primary parasitoid under laboratory and field conditions

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, is the most important international pest of citrus because it transmits the bacteria that cause huanglongbing (HLB). HLB limits citrus production globally. We evaluated the toxicity of sulfoxalor against D. citri and its parasitoid, Tamarixia radiata Waterston. Sulfoxaflor was as toxic as imidacloprid to adult D. citri. The LC₅₀ values for sulfoxaflor and imidacloprid were 8.17 and 5.7 µg AI mL^?1, respectively. The LC₅₀ of sulfoxaflor for T. radiata adults was 3.3 times greater than for D. citri adults. Treatment with sulfoxaflor resulted in reduced oviposition, development of nymphs, and emergence of adult D. citri on plants, as compared with controls. The lowest concentration that reduced adult emergence was 0.6 µg AI mL^?1. There was reduced feeding by D. citri adults on leaves treated with sulfoxaflor. The residual toxicity of sulfoxaflor was equivalent to imidacloprid. Under field conditions, formulated sulfoxaflor reduced populations of D. citri compared with untreated controls. Sulfoxaflor is a novel mode of action and is an effective tool for D. citri management.     

Toxicity of insecticides to the sweetpotato whitefly (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) and its natural enemies

Efficient chemical control is achieved when insecticides are active against insect pests and safe to natural enemies. In this study, the toxicity of 17 insecticides to the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), and the selectivity of seven insecticides to natural enemies of this insect pest were evaluated. To determine the insecticide toxicity, B. tabaci adults were exposed to abamectin, acephate, acetamiprid, cartap, imidacloprid, malathion, methamidophos, bifenthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, esfenvalerate, fenitrothion, fenpropathrin, fenthion, phenthoate, permethrin and trichlorphon at 50 and 100% of the field rate (FR), and to water (untreated control). To determine the insecticide selectivity, adults of Encarsia sp., Acanthinus sp., Discodon sp. and Lasiochilus sp. were exposed to abamectin, acephate, acetamiprid, cartap, imidacloprid, malathion and methamidophos at 50 and 100% FR, and to water. Groups of each insect species were exposed to kale leaves preimmersed in each treatment under laboratory conditions. Mortality of exposed individuals was recorded 24 h after treatment. Cartap and imidacloprid at 50 and 100% FR and abamectin and acetamiprid at 100% FR showed insecticidal activity to B. tabaci adults. Abamectin at 50 and 100% FR was the least insecticidal compound to the natural enemies Acanthinus sp., Discodon sp. and Lasiochilus sp. The present results suggest that abamectin at 100% FR may decrease B. tabaci field populations but can still be harmless to predators. Implications of these results within an integrated pest management context are discussed.     

Toxicities and sublethal effects of seven neonicotinoid insecticides on survival, growth and reproduction of imidacloprid-resistant cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii

BACKGROUND: Imidacloprid has been a major neonicotinoid insecticide for controlling Aphis gossypii (Glover) (Homoptera: Aphididae) and other piercing–sucking pests. However, the resistance to imidacloprid has been recorded in many target insects. At the same time, cross‐resistance of imidacloprid and other insecticides, especially neonicotinoid insecticides, has been detected. RESULTS: Results showed that the level of cross‐resistance was different between imidacloprid and tested neonicotinoid insecticides (no cross‐resistance: dinotefuran, thiamethoxam and clothianidin; a 3.68–5.79‐fold cross‐resistance: acetamiprid, nitenpyram and thiacloprid). In the study of sublethal effects, imidacloprid at LC₂₀ doses could suppress weight gain and honeydew excretion, but showed no significant effects on longevity and fecundity of the imidacloprid‐resistant cotton aphid, A. gossypii. However, other neonicotinoid insecticides showed significant adverse effects on biological characteristics (body weight, honeydew excretion, longevity and fecundity) in the order of dinotefuran > thiamethoxam and clothianidin > nitenpyram > thiacloprid and acetamiprid. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that dinotefuran is the most effective insecticide for use against imidacloprid‐resistant A. gossypii. To avoid further resistance development, the use of nitenpyram, acetamiprid and thiacloprid should be avoided on imidacloprid‐resistant populations of A. gossypii. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Resistance of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) to insecticides in southern Spain with special reference to neonicotinoids

The tobacco whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) which occurs in various parts of the world, has developed a high degree of resistance against several chemical classes of insecticide, including organophosphates, carbamates, pyrethroids, insect growth regulators and chlorinated hydrocarbons. The present studies were done in order to monitor the susceptibility of whitefly populations in southern Spain to insecticides commonly used there. Systemic bioassays using Spanish field populations of B tabaci collected in 1994, 1996 and 1998 indicated an increase, albeit a slow one, in resistance to imidacloprid over this period. Comparative studies of other neonicotinoids using the same bioassay revealed a high degree of cross‐resistance to acetamiprid and thiamethoxam. Leaf‐dip bioassays with adult females from these populations revealed a high level of resistance to cyfluthrin, endosulfan, monocrotophos, methamidophos, and pymetrozine, each at 200 mg litre⁻¹. Buprofezin and pyriproxyfen were tested against second‐instar nymphs and eggs, respectively. Buprofezin also showed a lower efficacy against ESP‐98, a strain of B tabaci received from Almeria in 1998, but pyriproxyfen resistance was not obvious when tested against eggs of strain ESP‐98. Field trials in 1998 revealed good efficacy of imidacloprid in one farm in the Almeria region and two greenhouses in Murcia and Sevilla, but a loss of activity by imidacloprid in another farm in the Almeria region. Cross‐resistance between imidacloprid and thiamethoxam was also confirmed under field conditions. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

无人机施药对棉蚜的防治效果及经济效益分析

为探讨采用无人机防治新疆南部地区棉蚜的可行性并筛选防治效果好的杀虫剂及具有增效作用的杀虫剂助剂，研究了采用大疆MG-1S型无人机喷施不同的杀虫剂+助剂对棉蚜的防治效果，并对无人机飞防的经济效益进行了分析。结果表明:采用MG-1S型无人机喷施22%氟啶虫胺腈悬浮剂(SC) 225 mL/hm2(制剂量，下同)时对棉蚜的防治效果最好，优于喷施70%吡虫啉水分散粒剂(WG) 30 g/hm2和70%啶虫咪WG 60 g/hm2。在添加助剂方面，以分别在70%啶虫脒WG 60g/hm2和70%吡虫啉WG 30g/hm2中添加15 mL/hm2的高工效通用助剂的防治效果最好，其次为聚合物类助剂和飞防增效剂；而在22%氟啶虫胺腈SC(150 mL/hm2)中，以添加150 mL/hm2的飞防增效剂的效果最好，其次为矿物源类、有机硅类和聚合物类助剂。采用无人机施药，在施药后3 d和5 d的防治效果与采用机械+人工拖管施药相比均无显著性差异，但无人机田间作业施药液量减少1/3，工作效率提高3倍，机械作业费减少60元/hm2，可满足现代农业高效、节药和降低成本的需要。     

Species-specific insecticide resistance to imidacloprid and fipronil in the rice planthoppers Nilaparvata lugens and Sogatella furcifera in East and South-east Asia

BACKGROUND: In 2003 the development of insecticide resistance against neonicotinoids in the brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) (Homoptera: Delphacidae), was first observed in Thailand and has since been found in other Asian countries such as Vietnam, China and Japan. However, the LD₅₀ values of BPH and the whitebacked planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera (Horváth), against both neonicotinoid and phenylpyrazole insecticides have been poorly reported in many Asian countries. RESULTS: The topical LD₅₀ values for imidacloprid in the BPH populations collected from East Asia (Japan, China, Taiwan) and Vietnam in 2006 were 4.3–24.2 µg g^?1 and were significantly higher than those collected from the Philippines (0.18–0.35 µg g^?1). The BPH populations indicated a positive cross‐resistance between imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. Almost all the WBPH populations from Japan, Taiwan, China, Vietnam and the Philippines had extremely large LD₅₀ values (19.7–239 µg g^?1 or more) for fipronil, except for several populations from the Philippines and China. CONCLUSION: Species‐specific changes in insecticide susceptibility were found in Asian rice planthoppers (i.e. BPH for imidacloprid and WBPH for fipronil). Insecticide resistance in BPH against imidacloprid occurred in East Asia and Indochina, but not in the Philippines. In contrast, insecticide resistance in WBPH against fipronil occurred widely in East and South‐east Asia. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

陕西关中地区小麦田禾谷缢管蚜对7种杀虫剂的抗性监测

为明确陕西关中地区麦蚜田间种群对杀虫剂的抗药性现状,采用浸叶法测定了兴平、礼泉、凤翔、岐山、扶风地区麦田禾谷缢管蚜种群对高效氯氰菊酯、溴氰菊酯、吡虫啉、异丙威、毒死蜱、阿维菌素、氟啶虫胺腈等7种杀虫剂的抗性水平。结果表明,禾谷缢管蚜对高效氯氰菊酯的抗性水平最高,其中凤翔种群对高效氯氰菊酯达到高水平抗性(抗性倍数为72.5),岐山和扶风种群对该药产生中等水平抗性(抗性倍数分别为31.4、29.9);5个地区的禾谷缢管蚜对溴氰菊酯、吡虫啉、毒死蜱、异丙威和阿维菌素的抗性水平较低,表现为敏感、敏感性下降或者低抗性;5个地区的试虫对氟啶虫胺腈均表现为敏感。分析认为,高效氯氰菊酯不适合用于关中地区禾谷缢管蚜防治,氟啶虫胺腈作为一种新型杀虫剂,可以在该虫防治中推广使用,吡虫啉、阿维菌素等其他几种杀虫剂可以在禾谷缢管蚜的防治中交替使用。     

Adding microencapsulated pear ester to insecticides for control of Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in apple

BACKGROUND: The possibility of improving the efficacy of various insecticides for codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), by the addition of a microencapsulated formulation of pear ester, ethyl (2E, 4Z)‐2,4‐decadienoate (PE‐MEC, 5% AI), was evaluated in field trials in apple from 2005 to 2009. RESULTS: The addition of PE‐MEC (<3.0 g AI ha^?1) significantly lowered fruit injury with low rates of organophosphate and neonicotinoid insecticides. The addition of PE‐MEC (1.48 g AI ha^?1) to maximum label rates of insecticides with moderate activity for codling moth, such as ebamectin benzoate, spinosad and methoxyfenozide, significantly improved their effectiveness. However, PE‐MEC did not consistently improve the activity of maximum label rates of either rynaxypyr or spinetoram. The addition of PE‐MEC with seasonal spray programs of acetamiprid and azinphos‐methyl in combination with the use of sex pheromones for mating disruption provided the most effective control. CONCLUSION: The addition of PE‐MEC can improve the effectiveness of some insecticides for codling moth in apple. Insecticides active via dermal toxicity are more strongly improved by the addition of PE‐MEC. Season‐long use of PE‐MEC can also augment the effectiveness of mating disruption. Adding PE‐MEC to variable integrated management programs for C. pomonella should be further investigated. Published 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sulfoxaflor and the sulfoximine insecticides: Chemistry,mode of action and basis for efficacy on resistant insects

The sulfoximines, as exemplified by sulfoxaflor ([N-[methyloxido[1-[6-(trifluoromethyl)-3-pyridinyl]ethyl]-λ⁴-sulfanylidene] cyanamide] represent a new class of insecticides. Sulfoxaflor exhibits a high degree of efficacy against a wide range of sap-feeding insects, including those resistant to neonicotinoids and other insecticides. Sulfoxaflor is an agonist at insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) and functions in a manner distinct from other insecticides acting at nAChRs. The sulfoximines also exhibit structure activity relationships (SAR) that are different from other nAChR agonists such as the neonicotinoids. This review summarizes the sulfoximine SAR, mode of action and the biochemistry underlying the observed efficacy on resistant insect pests, with a particular focus on sulfoxaflor.     

Contact and fumigant toxicity of plant essential oils and efficacy of spray formulations containing the oils against B‐ and Q‐biotypes of Bemisia tabaci

BACKGROUND: The contact + fumigant toxicity of 92 plant essential oils and control efficacy of 18 experimental spray formulations containing nine selected essential oils (0.5 and 0.1% sprays) and six commercial insecticides to females from B‐ and Q‐biotypes of Bemisia tabaci were evaluated using vapour‐phase mortality and spray bioassays. RESULTS: Garlic and oregano (LC₅₀, 0.15 mL cm^?3) were the most toxic oils against B‐ and Q‐biotype females. Strong fumigant toxicity to both biotype females was also obtained from catnip, cinnamon bark, clove bud, clove leaf, davana, savory and vetiver Haiti oils (LC₅₀, 0.17–0.48 mL cm^?3). The 0.5% sprays of these oils (except for thyme red oil) resulted in 90–100% mortality against both biotype females. Only garlic applied as 0.1% spray provided 100% mortality. Spinosad 100 g L^?1 suspension concentrate (SC) treatment resulted in 92 and 95% mortality against both biotype females, whereas acetamiprid 80 g L^?1 wettable powder (WP), imidacloprid 80 g L^?1 SC, thiamethoxam 100 g L^?1 water‐dispersible granule (WDG) and pyridaben 200 g L^?1 WP treatments resulted in 89–100% mortality against B‐biotype females only. CONCLUSION: In the light of global efforts to reduce the level of highly toxic synthetic insecticides in the agricultural environment, the essential oils described, particularly garlic, cinnamon bark and vetiver Haiti, merit further study as potential insecticides for the control of B. tabaci populations as fumigants with contact action. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Targeting Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) adults with low‐volume applications of insecticides alone and in combination with sex pheromone

BACKGROUND: Studies surveyed the toxicity of several insecticides against adult codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), and examined the field effectiveness of applying low‐volume (12 L ha^?1) sprays alone or in combination with a microencapsulated (MEC) sex pheromone formulation. RESULTS: Neonicotinyls, organophosphates and synthetic pyrethroids significantly reduced fecundity at concentrations nearly 100‐fold lower than their maximum labeled field rate. Field studies in 2005 demonstrated that six applications of esfenvalerate resulted in > 90% reduction in fruit injury versus the untreated check. The addition of the MEC pheromone formulation did not further improve control. Five sprays of esfenvalerate, phosmet and acetamiprid all significantly reduced levels of fruit injury compared with the untreated control in 2006. Esfenvalerate and acetamiprid mixed with the MEC pheromone significantly reduced fruit injury compared with the MEC‐only treatment. Significant increases in pest and decreases in predator mite densities occurred in plots treated with esfenvalerate in both years. Low‐volume sprays of phosmet and acetamiprid did not disrupt mites. CONCLUSION: Low‐volume insecticide sprays can effectively manage codling moth and are less disruptive of integrated mite management. Developing an effective ‘attract and kill’ technology with this approach will require optimization of the attractant(s) to maximize moth exposure to insecticide residues. Published 2010 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of mutations in Drosophila nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits on sensitivity to insecticides targeting nicotinic acetylcholine receptors

Several strains of Drosophila melanogaster possess mutant alleles in nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits, Dα1 and Dβ2 that confer resistance to neonicotinoids such as imidacloprid and nitenpyram, and Dα6, that confers resistance to spinosyns. These mutant strains were bioassayed with a selected set of nAChR active insecticides including neonicotinoids, spinosad, and sulfoxaflor, a new sulfoximine insecticide. All of the neonicotinoids examined, except dinotefuran showed reduced insecticidal efficacy on larvae of the Dα1 mutant, suggesting that this subunit may be important in the action of these insecticides. All of the neonicotinoids, including dinotefuran, showed reduced insecticidal efficacy on larvae possessing the Dβ2 mutation. A similar pattern of broad neonicotinoid resistance to that of Dβ2 alone was also observed for larvae with both the mutations (Dα1 + Dβ2). The Dβ2 mutation exhibited a lower level of cross-resistance to sulfoxaflor (<3-fold) than to any of the neonicotinoids (>13-fold). In contrast, there was no cross-resistance for any of the neonicotinoids or sulfoxaflor in adult flies with the Dα6 mutation, which confers high levels of resistance to spinosad. Thus in the D. melanogaster strains studied, target site resistance observed for the neonicotinoids and the spinosyns does not translate directly to resistance towards sulfoxaflor.     

桃蚜对5种新烟碱类杀虫剂及氟啶虫胺腈抗性的快速检测方法

采用玻璃管药膜法,建立了以吡虫啉、啶虫脒、噻虫嗪、噻虫胺、烯啶虫胺5种新烟碱类杀虫剂及氟啶虫胺腈对桃蚜室内敏感品系(SN)的LC90值作为区分剂量,测定桃蚜对6种杀虫剂敏感性变化的方法,并与浸叶法测得的抗性水平进行了相关性分析,验证了利用区分剂量快速测定桃蚜田间种群对6种杀虫剂抗性水平的准确性。结果表明:6种杀虫剂对桃蚜室内敏感品系的LC90值分别为150.01、1 170.81、54.19、951.34、245.98及133.60 ng/cm2。在此区分剂量下,河南省驻马店地区桃蚜种群(ZM)的死亡率在82%~96%之间;河北省玉田地区甘蓝桃蚜种群(GL)的死亡率在35%~82%之间,桃树桃蚜种群(TS)死亡率在3%~30%之间。分析表明,在选定的区分剂量下,桃蚜田间种群的死亡率与其对杀虫剂的抗性水平呈负相关,相关系数在0.818 8~0.999 9之间。同时,通过相关性方程计算得到的江苏省南京地区桃蚜种群(NJ)对6种杀虫剂的理论抗性水平与实际检测所得抗性水平结果接近。因此,以玻璃管药膜法确定的吡虫啉、啶虫脒、噻虫嗪、噻虫胺、烯啶虫胺及氟啶虫胺腈对桃蚜室内敏感品系的LC90值作为区分剂量,通过测定桃蚜田间种群的死亡率,可以快速表征田间种群对6种杀虫剂的敏感性变化,从而对其抗性水平进行初步评估。     

Toxicity of spiromesifen to the developmental stages of Bemisia tabaci biotype B

BACKGROUND: Spiromesifen is a novel insecticidal/acaricidal compound derived from spirocyclic tetronic acids that acts effectively against whiteflies and mites via inhibition of acetyl‐CoA‐carboxylase, a lipid metabolism enzyme. The effects of spiromesifen on the developmental stages of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) were studied under laboratory conditions to generate baseline action thresholds for field evaluations of the compound. RESULTS: Adult B. tabaci mortality rate after spiromesifen treatment (5 mg L^?1) was 40%. Treatment with 0.5 mg L^?1 reduced fecundity per female by more than 80%, and fertility was almost nil. LC₅₀ for eggs was 2.6 mg L^?1, and for first instar 0.5 mg L^?1. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that eggs laid by treated adult females had an abnormally perforated chorion, and females were unable to complete oviposition. Light and fluorescent microscopy showed significantly smaller eggs following treatment, and smaller, abnormally formed and improperly localized bacteriomes in eggs and nymphs. The number of ovarioles counted in females treated with 5 mg L^?1 was significantly reduced. Spiromesifen showed no cross‐resistance with other commonly used insecticides from different chemical groups, and resistance monitoring in Israel showed no development of field resistance to this insecticide after 1 year of use. CONCLUSION: The strong effect on juvenile stages of B. tabaci with a unique mode of action and the absence of cross‐resistance with major commonly used insecticides from different chemical groups suggest the use of spiromesifen in pest and resistance management programmes. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

新疆MEAM1烟粉虱隐种对吡虫啉的抗性遗传力分析及交互抗性测定

采用Tabashnik的域性状指标分析了新疆MEAM1(Middle-East-Asia-Minor l)烟粉虱隐种对吡虫啉的抗性现实遗传力(h2)和不同致死率下的抗性发展速率,同时测定了抗性种群对不同类型杀虫剂的交互抗性。结果表明,在30%~50%较低的选择压力下,新疆MEAM1烟粉虱隐种连续汰选8代后,对吡虫啉的抗性上升28.01倍,抗性现实遗传力h2为0.429 7。假设田间种群现实遗传力为实验室筛选估算值的1/2,即h2=0.214 9,对新疆MEAM1烟粉虱隐种对吡虫啉的抗性发展速率估算结果表明:在药剂选择压力为50%~60%下,若使其对吡虫啉的抗性增长10倍,则需要生长10~8代;而在药剂选择压力为70%~90%下,若使其抗性增长10倍,则仅需要生长6~4代。表明新疆MEAM1烟粉虱隐种对吡虫啉产生抗性的风险很大。交互抗性测定结果显示:抗性种群对同类型的杀虫剂吡虫清和噻虫嗪分别产生了10.78倍和4.75倍的中等至低水平交互抗性;对多杀菌素、毒死蜱、吡丙醚和高效氯氰菊酯的敏感性有所降低;对阿维菌素、氟啶虫胺腈和乙基多杀菌素等杀虫剂则无交互抗性。     

氟啶虫胺腈等11种杀虫剂对瓜蚜的毒力及协同增效作用

为探寻防治瓜蚜的高效协同增效药剂组合，采用叶片带虫浸渍法测定了氟啶虫胺腈等11种杀虫剂对瓜蚜的毒力。结果表明:处理后24 h，氟啶虫胺腈对瓜蚜的毒力最高，吡蚜酮最低，LC₅₀值分别为10.15和369.63 mg/L；48 h时依然是氟啶虫胺腈毒力最高，而高效氯氟氰菊酯最低，LC₅₀值分别为2.35和117.57 mg/L。在此基础上进行协同增效药剂筛选，结果表明:按质量比计，氟啶虫酰胺与吡蚜酮1 : 1、氟吡呋喃酮与吡蚜酮1 : 5、氟啶虫胺腈与吡蚜酮1 : 3、氟吡呋喃酮与高效氯氟氰菊酯1 : 5、氟啶虫胺腈与高效氯氟氰菊酯1 : 5几种组合的增效作用显著，共毒系数分别达1 271、820、561、1 277和478。研究结果可为田间瓜蚜的高效化学防治提供科学依据。     

Cereal leaf beetles (Oulema spp., Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) control following various dates of wheat sowing and insecticidal treatments

In this paper, we report the sowing date and intensity of chemical control on presence of the cereal leaf beetles (CLB) on spring wheat. The CLB monitoring (Oulema melanopus L. and Oulema gallaeciana Voet.) was conducted in May–June of each year, following the announcement of the IOR-PiB in Poznań (Institute of Plant Protection, National Research Institute), that economic threshold levels in Poland of this pest is observed. For the spring sowing dates between (20 March–20 April) and late autumn sowings (21 November–7 December) larger amounts of CLB adults (1.6–1.1) in comparison to early autumn sowings (25 October–02 November) were noticed (0.4). Following the insecticidal seed treatment with imidacloprid, the occurrence of adults was 0.2–0.7 individual per stem, while the use of fungicidal treatment with triadimenol–imazalil–fuberidazol resulted in average 1.1–2.2 individual per stem. The reduction in the number of larvae per stem was 7–10 fold larger following the foliar application (pirimicarb + dimethoate + cypermethrin) compared to the seed treatment with imidacloprid. The lowest grain yield (3.83 t ha^?1) from the spring crop without any insecticide was obtained. Foliar application with blend of pirimicarb + dimethoate + cypermethrin increased the yield crop by 0.41 t ha^?1 (10.7%) and additionally by 0.78 t ha^?1 (20.4%) to compare to the fungicidal control when imidacloprid was used. Wheat seed treatment with imidacloprid and sowing date in autumn showed to be suitable and economically efficient preventive strategies for controlling the pest population.     

Early detection of squash silverleaf and chemical control of Bemisia tabaci using imidacloprid

Squash silverleaf induced by the geographical variant Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) is an economically important disease of Cucurbita pepo L. in tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. Therefore, both early detection of disease severity and judicious use of insecticides are important for minimizing economic losses. Therefore, the aims of this study were to use chlorophyll fluorescence to detect squash silverleaf early and determine the best protocol for imidacloprid application. The results showed that chlorophyll fluorescence was positively correlated with disease severity of whitefly-infested plants. Foliar spraying was suitable for application to control MEAM1 in the high risk region because it could be rapidly implemented against whitefly infestations and because it has a high knockdown rate. Soil application was slow-acting but had a long-lasting effect and was suitable for implementation during the initial stage of a whitefly outbreak. Considering the overall insect control potential and the risks to the environmental contamination and human health, 0.3 g L^?1 imidacloprid is the recommended concentration using the two application methods.     

Differential metabolism of sulfoximine and neonicotinoid insecticides by Drosophila melanogaster monooxygenase CYP6G1

Sulfoxaflor [N-[methyloxido[1-[6-(trifluoromethyl)-3-pyridinyl]ethyl]-λ⁴-sulfanylidene] cyanamide] is in development as the first product from the new sulfoximine class of insect control agents. Highly effective against a variety of sap-feeding pest insects, available data indicate no cross-resistance to sulfoxaflor in pest insect strains that exhibit high levels of resistance to neonicotinoids and other insecticides. In vitro studies of the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP6G1 from Drosophila melanogaster, expressed in a Drosophila cell line, show very high levels of metabolism for a variety of neonicotinoids, but not for sulfoxaflor and its chloropyridine-analog. A sulfoxaflor analog with nitrogen in place of the carbon in the bridge between the pyridine and sulfoximine moiety shows a modest degree of metabolism. In silico homology modeling of the CYP6G1 with the sulfoximines and neonicotinoids suggests that steric effects may limit interactions of the sulfoximines with the reactive heme-oxo complex. A distinct relationship was identified for the summed Hückel charges and the degree of metabolism observed. These observations help explain the lack of sulfoxaflor metabolism by CYP6G1, and in turn provide a basis for the lack of cross-resistance to sulfoxaflor in insecticide resistant strains of pest insects.     

Investigations on Oecophylla longinoda (Latreille) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) as a biocontrol agent in the protection of cashew plantations

BACKGROUND: Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) has become a very important non‐traditional tree crop in Ghana. The crop is, however, attacked by sap‐sucking insects, particularly the mosquito bug, Helopeltis schoutedeni Reuter, the leaf‐footed bug, Pseudotheraptus devastans (Dist.), and the coreid bug, Anoplocnemis curvipes (F.), which feed on shoots, panicles and fruits. Their damage is characterised by withering of the latter. In Ghana, Oecophylla longinoda Latr. occurs in large numbers on cashew and other native plants, but little is known about its relationship with insect pests. The relationship between O. longinoda and shoot and panicle damage by sap‐sucking bugs and the effectiveness of O. longinoda as a biocontrol agent in the protection of cashew as compared with two chemical insecticides, lambda‐cyhalothrin (Karate^®) and cypermethrin + dimethoate (Cyperdim^®), were therefore investigated at Bole in the northern region of Ghana. RESULTS: There was a negative correlation between numbers of O. longinoda nests and pest damage. Trees treated with cypermethrin + dimethoate (969 mg AI mL^?1 tree^?1) and lambda‐cyhalothrin (100 mg AI mL^?1 tree^?1) recorded the smallest bug numbers, followed by O. longinoda. Trees infested by Oecophylla longinoda and trees treated with cypermethrin + dimethoate and with lambda‐cyhalothrin had less than 6% pest damage to shoots, panicles and fruits, while water‐sprayed trees recorded damage as high as 36.8% (shoots) in February, 32.9% (panicles) in February and 37.8% (fruits) in March. Cypermethrin + dimethoate again recorded the highest (485.0 kg ha^?1) nut yield, followed by O. longinoda (431.0 kg ha^?1), with water recording the lowest (93.0 kg ha^?1) nut yield. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that O. longinoda can be used to control some sucking bugs as effectively as some insecticides. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry