| Abstract: | The toxicities, to a laboratory susceptible strain and to a resistant strain of Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L.), of water-dispersible powder formulations of pirimiphos-methyl, fenitrothion or chlorpyrifos-methyl under constant conditions of 25°C and 70% r. h. were compared to the toxicities when the insects were exposed to a diurnal cycle of 12.5–20–12.5°C and 70–50–70% r. h. to simulate grain store conditions in the UK during spring and autumn. All the insecticides were more effective at 25°C and 70% r. h. The LD50 values for the susceptible strain were low, being 4.4 and 1.4 mg m?2 at 12.5-20°C and 25°C, respectively, for chlorpyrifos-methyl, 18.3 and 4.1 mg m?2, respectively, for pirimiphos-methyl, and 4.0 and < 1.O mg m?2, respectively, for fenitrothion. The LD50 values obtained from the two sets of environmental conditions for a resistant strain (484) differed by factors of 1.8 for chlorpyrifos-methyl, 4.8 for pirimiphos-methyl, and 7.3 for fenitrothion. Toxicity studies were also made with chlorpyrifos-methyl under various constant conditions of temperature and humidity from 5–30°C (5°C intervals) and 30, 50, 70 and 90% r. h., and also at O°C and 60% r. h. Chlorpyrifos-methyl was very effective and there was little or no cross resistance to chlorpyrifos-methyl in the resistant strain. From 15 to 30°C, mortality was high, and differences in mortality at the LD50 level for the various humidities were slight, but there was a decrease in mortality with decreasing humidity at any one temperature, in particular, at 5°C, 50 and 70% r. h., and 10°C and 50% r. h. Chlorpyrifosmethyl was more toxic to both strains at the highest humidity (90%) throughout the whole temperature range. The LD50 values for each strain decreased at each temperature as the water vapour concentration was increased. At O°C and 60% r. h., all the insects from both strains died but the cause of death was not clear. |
