Comparative studies on acylurea insect growth regulators and neuroactive insecticides for the control of the armyworm Spodoptera exempta walk

Leaf-dip bioassays with commercial pesticide formulations were used throughout this study. Third-instar larvae of Spodoptera littoralis were bioassayed for comparative purposes. The end-point mortality against the third-instar larvae (L3) of two Spodoptera exempta populations (Bangor and Gent) and a S. littoralis population (NRI) was found to occur at 72 h and 120 h for neuroactive compounds (carbamate, organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides) and acylureas respectively. Overall, the acylureas were found to be more toxic (up to 240-fold at the LC₅₀ level) than the most active of the neuroactive compounds tested, the pyrethroids. This difference was greatest against S. littoralis, which was markedly less sensitive to the latter compounds. The Gent population of S. exempta was also found to be significantly less sensitive (7-folt at LC₅₀) to the pyrethroid, lambda-cyhalothrin, than the Bangor strain. Two of the most toxic neuroactive and non-neuroactive compounds, the pyrethroid, cypermethrin and the acylurea, teflubenzuron were chosen for further studies with S. exempta (Gent) and S. littoralis. Relatively little difference in the toxicity of teflubenzuron was observed against different larval instars (L2, L3 and L4) of S. exempta when compared with cypermethrin. Choice-chamber-experiments on feeding behaviour showed that when L3 larvae of either species were exposed to both treated and untreated leaves. teflubenzuron had no significant effect on larval distribution, the percentage of each leaf disc consumed or larval weight gain when compared with untreated controls. In contrast, a marked dose-dependent repellent response to cypermethrin-treated leaves was shown by S. littralis after 6 h. together with corresponding reductions in the percentage of the treated leaf consumed and in larval weight gain. Similarly, when L3 S. exempta were exposed only to pesticidetreated leaves, cypermethrin significantly reduced premoult larval weight gain, whereas tefiubenzuron had no premoult effect. However, following exposure of L3 S. exempta and S. littoralis to teflubenzuron for 48 h prior to moulting, L4 which survived the moult showed reduced weight gain compared with controls, the reduction being more pronounced on maize than on artificial diet. This antifeedant effect increased in proportion to the concentration of teflubenzuron originally administered. The effect of exposure time to teflubenzuron was examined by placing L3 S. exempta and S. littoralis on leaves treated with the approximate LC₅₀ or LC₉₅ dose for 6–48 h. The exposure time required to produce appreciable mortality (relative to LC values) within the treated population was found to be 24 h.