Recent situation of the Colorado beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) in Poland

During the last 20 years there have been two outbreaks (1972 and 1976) of the Colorado beetle and one decline (1980). The new outbreak in 1983 was unusually massive as the population density of the pest was 2–3 times higher than in previous years. Almost 100% of potato crops and more than 50% of plants were attacked by the pest. This was due to low mortality of hibernating beetles during winter of 1982/83 and very favourable weather conditions in 1983 which resulted in an early emergence of hibernating beetles in the spring, intensive migration and high female fecundity. In 1983 insecticide treatments were applied to an area of 3.49 million ha as compared to 1.8 million ha treated in an average year. In 1984 there was a serious decline of the Colorado beetle population.     

Resistance and cross-resistance to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam in the Colorado potato beetle Leptinotarsa decemlineata

One of the major challenges in managing the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) is its remarkable ability to develop resistance to virtually every insecticide that has ever been used against it. Resistance is particularly common throughout northeastern USA as far north as Maine. The first instances of resistance to imidacloprid have already been reported from several locations in New York, Delaware and southern Maine. Rotating insecticides with different modes of action may delay insecticide resistance, but successful implementation of this technique depends on a good understanding of resistance and cross-resistance patterns in populations of target pests. LC(50) values were measured for imidacloprid and thiamethoxam in Colorado potato beetle populations from a variety of locations in the USA and Canada using diet incorporation bioassays. The field performance of imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and clothianidin against imidacloprid-resistant beetles on a commercial potato farm in southern Maine was also evaluated. Correlation between LC(50) values for imidacloprid and thiamethoxam was highly significant, even when populations previously exposed to thiamethoxam were excluded from the analysis. There was no statistically detectable difference in the LC(50) values between populations exposed to both insecticides and to imidacloprid alone. Applications of neonicotinoid insecticides at planting delayed build-up of imidacloprid-resistant beetle populations on field plots by 1-2 weeks but failed to provide adequate crop protection. Consistently with bioassay results, there was also substantial cross-resistance among the three tested neonicotinoid insecticides. Results of the present study support the recommendation to avoid rotating imidacloprid with thiamethoxam as a part of a resistance management plan.     

Resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides in field populations of the Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

BACKGROUND: Neonicotinoid insecticides were first used commercially for Colorado potato beetle [Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae] control in the United States in 1995, and since then have been critical for management of this pest. Field populations from the northeastern and midwestern United States were tested from 1998 to 2010 for susceptibility to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam using standard topical dose assays with adults. RESULTS: From 1998 to 2001, imidacloprid resistance was present in only a few locations in the eastern United States. By 2003, imidacloprid resistance was common in the northeastern Unites States. In 2004, imidacloprid resistance in Colorado potato beetle was detected for the first time in the midwestern United States. In 2003, the first case of resistance to thiamethoxam was found in a population from Massachusetts. Neonicotinoid resistance in summer‐generation adults was higher than in overwintered adults from the same locations. By 2009, 95% of the populations tested from the northeastern and midwestern United States had significantly higher LD₅₀ values for imidacloprid than the susceptible population. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides raises concerns for the continued effective management of Colorado potato beetles in potatoes and highlights the need for more rigorous practice of integrated pest management methods. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Control of Colorado Potato Beetle with the SIMLEP Decision Support System*

The Colorado Potato Beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is a serious threat in potato‐growing areas in Europe. Control requires a high insecticide input and meanwhile L. decemlineata has developed resistance to all commonly used insecticides. In order to establish an integrated pest management system a temperature‐driven decision support system (SIMLEP DSS) has been elaborated and consists of two modules. SIMLEP 1 is a regional forecasting model for the first occurrence of hibernating beetles and the start of egg laying. SIMLEP 3 is a field–specific model which forecasts the occurrence of the developmental stages of L. decemlineata. From 1999 to 2004 SIMLEP 3 was validated in Germany, Austria, Italy and Poland. In about 90% of cases SIMLEP 3 correctly predicted the periods of maximum egg laying and young larval occurrence, which are the optimal periods for field assessments and treatments with conventional and biological insecticides. SIMLEP 3 is used in practice in Germany and Austria on a large scale and in the western part of Poland. The SIMLEP DSS contributed a lot to the improvement of farmers’L. decemlineata control measures.     

Reduced viability of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata, eggs exposed to novaluron

BACKGROUND: Novaluron is a benzoylphenyl urea chitin synthesis inhibitor that combines good activity against larval stages of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), with low mammalian toxicity. Previous studies suggest that it has deleterious sublethal effects on adults. RESULTS: Continuous exposure of adult Colorado potato beetles to novaluron-treated foliage as both ovipositional and feeding substrate did not affect their survivorship or the number of eggs produced, but viable larvae hatched only from the eggs that were laid on the first day of the experiment. Viability was restored after adult beetles spent 48-96 hours on untreated leaves. In a separate experiment, direct exposure to novaluron of eggs laid by unexposed beetles also reduced the number of larvae hatching. CONCLUSIONS: Results confirm a negative effect of novaluron on the number of progeny produced by the Colorado potato beetle. Direct toxicity did not explain all of the reduction in egg hatch observed, suggesting that novaluron probably acted on reproductive adults as well as on eggs after they were deposited.     

Dose-response relationships for the antifeedant effects of Humulus lupulus extracts against larvae and adults of the Colorado potato beetle

BACKGROUND: Dose–response relationships for antifeedant effects of H. lupulus extracts against larvae and adults of the Colorado potato beetle (CPB) were determined in laboratory conditions. The larval and adult beetles were fed on potato leaflets treated with H. lupulus extract ranging from 0.4 to 40 mg mL^?1 in a no‐choice situation. Their feeding behavior was recorded, and larval growth and antifeedant indexes were calculated. RESULTS: H. lupulus treatments significantly affected larval growth rate, and at higher concentrations the larval weights were significantly reduced over the course of the assay. Adults of CPB were more sensitive to the extracts than the larvae, and, even at lower doses, adult beetles were arrested for longer periods than larvae. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that H. lupulus extracts may have potential for control of CPB, particularly in organic farms where conventional insecticides are not available. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Temperature effects on the action of acylurea insecticides against tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) larvae

The toxic effects of six acylurea insecticides on larvae of the tobacco hornworm were investigated at each of four environmental temperatures (20, 25, 30 and 35°C). This spans the range of temperatures which the insects can tolerate. For all the acylureas tested, mortality increased with temperature when either newly hatched or fourth-instar larvae were given insecticide in their food. Sub-lethal growth inhibition also became more pronounced at progressively higher environmental temperatures. This temperature dependence of acylurea action was not due to altered uptake of the insecticide, since there was no significant variation with temperature in the amount of [¹⁴C]flufenoxuron taken up by fifth-instar larvae when given a single meal containing labelled insecticide. Additionally, mortality of fourth-instar larvae given a single intra-haemocoelic injection of flufenoxuron was significantly greater at higher temperatures, implying that temperature affects a process that occurs after insecticide uptake. The intrinsic ability of acylureas to inhibit chitin synthesis is temperaturesensitive, since flufenoxuron inhibited the incorporation of [¹⁴C]N-acetylalucosamine into chitin by proleg epidermis in vitro significantly less well at 20°C than at the higher temperatures tested. However, there was no significant variation between the effectiveness of in-vitro chitin synthesis inhibition at 25, 30 and 35°C. These data show that the effectiveness of acylurea insecticides is subject to strong temperature effects in the range of temperatures likely to be experienced in the field.     

Topical and residual toxicity of six pesticides to <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Orius majusculus</Emphasis>

The toxicity of six pesticides (four insecticides and two fungicides) to Orius majusculus (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) adults and nymphs was determined using different exposure methods. Mortality upon topical exposure to abamectin, endosulfan and spinosad at recommended field doses ranged from 56% to 100% after 24 h. However, in leaf residue tests, toxicity to both life stages decreased significantly, ranging from 0% to 33% mortality. Benomyl and copper salts + mancozeb (fungicides) were much less toxic to O. majusculus, with less than 15% mortality of either adults or nymphs in topical and residue bioassays. In persistent toxicity tests, insects were exposed to the same three insecticides for 4 days; mortality varied from 38% to 100%. Egg hatching was not significantly affected when abamectin, endosulfan and spinosad were topically applied. Number of eggs laid per female in choice and no-choice tests did not differ significantly from the control. The insecticides did not show considerable repellent effect in the choice tests. Topical, residue and systemic uptake methods were also compared to determine the differences in the toxicity levels of imidacloprid, a systemic insecticide. However, 100% mortality occurred with all methods.     

Inheritance of fenvalerate and carbofuran resistance in colorado beetles—Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say)—from North Carolina

Progeny from reciprocal F1 crosses and F1 backcrosses between fenvalerate-resistant and fenvalerate-susceptible Colorado beetles, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), and between carbofuran-resistant and carbofuran-susceptible Colorado beetles were bioassayed to investigate the mode of inheritance of resistance to these chemicals. Bioassays of progeny from these crosses indicate that resistance to fenvalerate is inherited in a semi-recessive, sex-linked manner and carbofuran resistance is inherited in a partially dominant autosomal fashion. Log concentration/probit mortality lines and chi-square tests, however, indicate that multiple genes may be involved in resistance to both insecticides.     

Ingested RNA interference for managing the populations of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata

BACKGROUND: RNA interference (RNAi) is a breakthrough technology for conducting functional genomics studies and also as a potential tool for crop protection against insect pests. The major challenge for efficient pest control using RNAi in the field is the development of efficient and reliable methods for production and delivery of double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA). In this paper, the potential of feeding dsRNA expressed in bacteria or synthesized in vitro to manage populations of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) (CPB), was investigated. RESULTS: Feeding RNAi successfully triggered the silencing of all five target genes tested and caused significant mortality and reduced body weight gain in the treated beetles. This study provides the first example of an effective RNAi response in insects after feeding dsRNA produced in bacteria. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the efficient induction of RNAi using bacteria to deliver dsRNA is a possible method for management of CPB. This could be also a promising bioassay approach for genome‐wide screens to identify effective target genes for use as novel RNAi‐based insecticides. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

An evaluation of the role of oxidative enzymes in Colorado potato beetle resistance to carbamate insecticides

Carbofuran and carbaryl LD₅₀ values were determined with and without piperonyl butoxide pretreatment for a resistant (New Jersey) and two susceptible (Utah and Netherland) populations of Colorado potato beetle larvae. Similar bioassays were conducted with carbofuran for resistant (Rutgers) and susceptible (NAIDM) adult house flies. The degree of resistance development by New Jersey Colorado potato beetles (RR = 848) was greater than that of the laboratory-selected colony of Rutgers house flies (RR = 583). Comparisons of synergist difference calculations including “percentage synergism” (%S), “log percentage synergism” (L%S), and “relative percentage synergism (R%S) for the resistant (R) and the susceptible (S) populations indicated the possibility that monooxygenases and other resistance mechanisms may be involved in Colorado potato beetle resistance to these carbamates. Monooxygenase involvement in resistance of Rutgers house flies was demonstrated in vitro by a 4-fold enhancement of p-nitroanisole O-demethylation over that of NAIDM house flies. O-demethylation of p-nitroanisole could not be demonstrated for potato beetle larvae. Colorado potato beetle resistance was associated with increases in microsomal levels of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase (ca. 2-fold) and NADPH oxidation (1.2-fold). The inability to measure O-demethylation in Colorado potato beetles may have been due to the solubilization of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase during microsomal preparation. Significant differences between resistant and susceptible Colorado potato beetle larvae were not observed in the penetration of [¹⁴C]carbaryl. Excretion of the radiocarbon may have been significantly greater in the resistant New Jersey population, but some of the insecticide may have also rubbed off the cuticle. This increased capacity for excretion, combined with increased levels of monooxygenase enzymes, could account for the high resistance level of this population.     

新型高效杀虫剂茚虫威毒理学研究进展

新型噁二嗪类杀虫剂茚虫威对鳞翅目昆虫具有卓越的杀虫活性。神经毒理学研究表明,茚虫威在昆虫体内活化为N 去甲氧羰基代谢物（DCJW）,并作用于失活态钠离子通道,破坏神经冲动传递。近年来对茚虫威的研究表明,昆虫具有对茚虫威产生高水平抗性的风险。     

Toxicity of biorational insecticides: activity against the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer)

The relationship between dose for each of four biorational insecticides (pyrethrins, neem extract, capsiacin extract, insecticidal soap) and mortality of the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) was determined using a laboratory bioassay. These insecticides were toxic to aphids and paired mixtures of the insecticides provided synergistic activity as measured by aphid mortality under the laboratory bioassay conditions. Capsiacin extracts were found to provide low levels of mortality alone but acted synergistically in mixtures with the other insecticides and provided higher than expected levels of mortality. Activity as determined in the laboratory for each insecticide was not evident under field-use conditions in five separate experiments. Under field conditions and using common application methods, these insecticides did not provide significant levels of control of aphids.     

新烟碱类杀虫剂在韭菜中的内吸性及其对韭菜迟眼蕈蚊幼虫的毒力比较

通过药剂水培法,研究比较了不同培养条件对7种新烟碱类杀虫剂在韭菜中的内吸性及其对韭菜迟眼蕈蚊Bradysia odoriphaga(Diptera:Sciaridae)4龄幼虫的毒力。结果表明:随着水培时间的延长,韭菜中7种杀虫剂对供试幼虫的毒力均呈增强的趋势,其中在100 mg/L下,噻虫胺和吡虫啉产生毒力作用较快,水培72 h时对幼虫的致死率分别为32.38%和36.50%,168 h时,呋虫胺的致死率最高,达96.35%;同一药剂在相同浓度下处理,内吸至韭菜叶部产生的致死作用快于内吸至假茎所产生的作用,并且致死率更高;水培温度及药液浓度越高,内吸后毒力产生越快,且致死率越高。表明新烟碱类杀虫剂可以通过韭菜根部处理防治咀嚼式口器害虫韭菜迟眼蕈蚊。     

Factors in the Success and Failure of Microbial Insecticides in Vegetable Crops

A search for patterns in the success and failure of microbial insecticides in vegetable crops was conducted through review of four case studies: the use of Bacillus thuringiensis (B.t.) var. tenebrionis for control of the Colorado potato beetle, the use of B.t. var. kurstaki for control of the diamondback moth, the use of various B.t.s for control of lepidopterous pests in tomatoes and celery, and the use of a granulosis virus for control of potato tuber moth. With success defined in terms of achievement of technical goals (efficacy), commercial goals (end-user and insecticide manufacturer satisfaction) and social, or public goals (environmental and health safety), only certain of the case studies could be judged a success. These successes shared a variety of features including: (1) use of the microbial insecticide as a component, rather than as the sole agent, in an integrated crop management program; (2) unavailability of conventional insecticides, due to insecticide resistance, lack of registered products or mandatory IPM programs, provided incentive for the use of microbial insecticides; (3) modification of the expectation that microbial insecticides will perform within the chemical paradigm – fast, lethal and on contact; (4) exploitation of all possible benefits of the microbial insecticide, including safety to natural enemies, as well as efficacy against the target insect, and (5) support from large private and public institutions in the form of research, grower education, scouting programs, subsidized production, and economic and legal incentives to the use of microbial insecticides.     

温度对七星瓢虫和多异瓢虫水分散失的影响

七星瓢虫(Coccinella septempunctata)和多异瓢虫(Hippodamia variegata)是新疆棉区棉蚜的主要天敌。为探索2种天敌对温度的适应性,室内设置25℃,30℃,35℃和40℃恒温处理,测定温度对2种瓢虫体内水分散失的影响。结果表明:2种瓢虫水分散失程度对温度响应具有差异性,多异瓢虫散失量高于七星瓢虫,约为七星瓢虫水分散失量的1.7～2.3倍;不同温度处理24 h内,多异瓢虫的死亡率显著高于七星瓢虫(p0.05,df=49)。田间调查结果表明,七星瓢虫与棉蚜有十分明显的跟随关系。因此,七星瓢虫种群崩溃的直接影响因子不是温度,可能与获取食物所得到的水分有密切关系。     

几种杀虫剂对棕榈蓟马的室内毒力与田间防效

为筛选出用于防治棕榈蓟马的有效药剂,采用玻璃残留处理法测定了5种药剂对蔬菜上棕榈蓟马的室内毒力,并进行了田间药效试验。室内毒力测定结果表明,杀虫活性最高的是乙基多杀菌素,其48h的LC50值为0.19mg/L;其次是阿维菌素、溴氰虫酰胺和啶虫脒,LC50值为54.45~76.48mg/L,呋虫胺的毒力最低。田间试验结果表明,6%乙基多杀菌素悬浮剂和1.8%阿维菌素乳油对棕榈蓟马药后1~14d的防效均达90.88%以上,明显高于其他3种药剂。6%乙基多杀菌素悬浮剂是防治棕榈蓟马的首选药剂,推荐轮换使用1.8%阿维菌素乳油和10%溴氰虫酰胺可分散油悬浮剂。     

Progress in biological control of the Colorado beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) in Eastern Europe

Intensive studies conducted in Eastern Europe to introduce and acclimatize two predatory bugs, Perillus bioculatus and Podisus maculiventris , and one fly, Doryphorophaga doryphorae , have not given positive results so far. Seasonal colonization with predators has provided good protection of potato and aubergine crops but the method requires release of high numbers of insects. Two microbial insecticides are produced, registered and used in the USSR for controlling the Colorado beetle, namely Boverin ( Beauveria bassiana ) and Bitoksybacillin ( Bacillus thuringiensis var. thuringiensis 202).     

Insecticide susceptibility of surviving Cotesia plutellae (Hym: Braconidae) and Diaeretiella rapae (M'Intosh) (Hym: Aphidiidae) as affected by sublethal insecticide dosages on host insects

The effects of sublethal dosages of insecticides applied to Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) and Lipaphis erysimi Kaltenbach (Homoptera: Aphidiidae) on the insecticide susceptibility of the surviving endoparasitoids, Cotesia plutellae Kurdjumov (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Diaeretiella rapae (M'Intosh) (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae), were studied in Shangjie, Minhou, China. The susceptibility to methamidophos and the sensitivity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to methamidophos and dichlorvos in the adults of host insects were substantially lower than those in the two parasitoids. The host insects were treated with sublethal dosages of methamidophos in P. xylostella and of methamidophos and avermectin in L. erysimi. The cocoon formation in the two parasitoids decreased significantly, from 35.0% (control) to 13.0% (with methamidophos treatment) for C. plutellae; from 20.6% (control) to 9.0% (with methamidophos treatment) and from 24.3% (control) to 16.7% (with avermectin treatment) for D. rapae. The susceptibility to methamidophos of the resultant emerging adults of the two parasitoids was found to be significantly lower than that of the control when the parasitoids were left in contact with the same dosages of methamidophos. The average AChE activity inhibition by methamidophos and dichlorvos in 34-60 adults of the two parasitoids that emerged from the treatments (15.1% and 31.8% respectively for C. plutellae, and 21.1% and 26.9% for D. rapae) was also significantly lower than those of the controls (55.4% and 48.3% respectively for C. plutellae, and 42.9% and 51.7% for D. rapae). The bimolecular rate constant (k(i)) values of AChE to methamidophos and dichlorvos in the adults of parasitoids without the insecticide treatment were 1.78 and 1.56 times as high as those that emerged from the host insects treated with methamidophos for C. plutellae, and 1.91 and 1.66 times as high as those in the case of D. rapae. It is suggested that there is a difference in AChE sensitivity to insecticides between the resultant emerging parasitoids with and without insecticide pretreatment. Furthermore, the introduction of the insecticides to the host insects could be an important factor in the insecticide resistance development of the endoparasitoids. The natural selectivity would favour the parasitoids that had developed an insensitivity to the insecticide(s).     

Indoxacarb resistance in the house fly, Musca domestica

Indoxacarb (DPX-MP062) is a recently introduced oxadiazine insecticide with activity against a wide range of pests, including house flies. It is metabolically decarbomethoxylated to DCJW. Selection of field collected house flies with indoxacarb produced a New York indoxacarb-resistant (NYINDR) strain with >118-fold resistance after three generations. Resistance in NYINDR could be partially overcome with the P450 inhibitor piperonyl butoxide (PBO), but the synergists diethyl maleate and S,S,S-tributyl phosphorothioate did not alter expression of the resistance, suggesting P450 monooxygenases, but not esterases or glutathione S-transferases are involved in the indoxacarb resistance. Conversely, the NYINDR strain showed only 3.2-fold resistance to DCJW, and this resistance could be suppressed with PBO. Only limited levels of cross-resistance were detected to pyrethroid, organophosphate, carbamate or chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides in NYINDR. Indoxacarb resistance in the NYINDR strain was inherited primarily as a completely recessive trait. Analysis of the phenotypes vs. mortality data revealed that the major factor for indoxacarb resistance is located on autosome 4 with a minor factor on autosome 3. It appears these genes have not previously been associated with insecticide resistance.