Experience-altered oviposition responses to a neem-based product, Neemix, by the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella

The oviposition responses of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., to Neemix 4.5, a neem-based oviposition repellent/deterrent, with or without previous experience were studied in the laboratory on plain aluminum foil sheets, on aluminum foil sheets coated with cabbage juice, and on cabbage plants. In the plain aluminum foil sheet experiment, the females without prior experience of Neemix (inexperienced females) deposited more eggs (66.2%) on sections with untreated sheets than on sections with Neemix-treated sheets (33.8%), indicating that the inexperienced females were significantly repelled and/or deterred by Neemix. In contrast, the Neemix-experienced females deposited more eggs (69.2-69.7%) on sections with Neemix-treated sheets than on sections with untreated sheets (30.3-30.8%), implying that the females were not repelled and/or deterred by Neemix following an experience. In the tests using egg-laying sheets coated with cabbage juice or with cabbage juice plus Neemix, the inexperienced females deposited more eggs (63.8%) on the sections with sheets treated with cabbage juice only than on the sections with sheets coated with cabbage juice and Neemix (36.2%), indicating that inexperienced females were repelled and/or deterred by Neemix. Similarly, Neemix-experienced females deposited more eggs (62.2-65.6%) on the sections with sheets treated with cabbage juice plus Neemix than on the sections with sheets treated with juice only (34.4-37.8%), suggesting that the females were not repelled and/or deterred by Neemix following an experience. On cabbage plants, inexperienced females oviposited similar numbers of eggs on both Neemix-treated (50.8%) and untreated plants (49.2%). However, the Neemix-experienced females oviposited more eggs on the plants treated with Neemix (56.3%) than on untreated plants (43.7%), indicating that the females were attracted by Neemix-treated plants following an experience. The significance of this study for applications of insect repellents/deterrents in pest management is discussed.