Evaluation of thiacloprid and clothianidin (neonicotinoids) as alternative to fenthion (organophosphate) for control of Mediterranean fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) in deciduous fruit orchards

Fenthion (organophosphate) was used in Australia to target adults, eggs and larvae of Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly), Ceratitis capitata Wiedmann (Diptera: Tephritidae) in deciduous fruits. With its removal from use in 2015, clothianidin and thiacloprid (neonicotinoids) were evaluated for any adulticide, ovicide or larvicide (eggs, larvae) activity against Medfly in a series of laboratory and field-cage experiments in peach and nectarine. We included fenthion in all experiments as a positive control. As an adulticide, fenthion had the greatest residual toxicity on fruit, with 7 d old residues killing 44% of adults within 48 h compared to thiacloprid (17%) and clothianidin (30%). When applied as a larvicide to naturally infested peaches, none of the insecticides was 100% effective, though fewest pupae (1.18 ± 0.19 pupae/fruit) (indirect measurement of larval survival) were produced when treated with fenthion, followed by clothianidin (3.40 ± 0.33 pupae/fruit) and thiacloprid (6.88 ± 0.34 pupae/fruit); with 11.35 ± 0.30 pupae/fruit in control (water). In peaches treated 48 h post-infestation, fenthion was most effective in reducing numbers of pupae and adult emergence and with higher percentage of deformed adults, with thiacloprid=clothianidin. In nectarines treated 48 h post-infestation, fenthion was most effective in reducing numbers of pupae and adult emergence as well as with higher percentage of deformed adults, followed by clothianidin. Insecticides were least effective when applied as a preventative 24 h or 7 d prior to infestation, with fenthion more effective than clothianidin. Whilst our study shows that neither clothianidin nor thiacloprid are equivalent to fenthion, they are acceptable substitutes to growers for use for Medfly in deciduous fruits given that fenthion is no longer available to growers in Australia. We recommend that growers incorporate other controls to target the adult stage rather than rely only on new insecticides.