Abstract
Toxic and behavior-modifying actions of several formulated insecticides were determined forMicroplitis croceipes (Cresson), a braconid parasitoid ofHeliothis spp. Exposure of adult parasitoids to cotton plants sprayed at recommended field rates with a pyrethroid/formamidine mixture (fenvalerate/chlordimeform) resulted in significantly higher mortality rates (10.4 to 22.6 percent) than in controls. Exposure to the carbamate thiodicarb resulted in similar rates of mortality. Only methomyl, a type of carbamate different from thiodicarb, caused mortality significantly higher than all other treatments, ranging to about 70%.
Flight activity was measured by attraction to cotton in a laboratory wind tunnel bioassay. Females sprayed directly with a fenvalerate/chlordimeform mixture had significantly decreased flight activity up to 20 h post-treatment. Alternatively, attraction to cotton sprayed with either the fenvalerate/chlordimeform mixture or with methomyl to unsprayed females was significantly decreased, compared to plants sprayed with water only.
These results suggest that the actions of insecticides, other than those of direct toxicity, may be important on beneficial parasitoids. Behaviors, such as flight activity and foraging, may be altered by even relatively non-toxic insecticides, thus potentially modifying the effectiveness of natural enemies.
Résumé
Les insecticides chimiques continuent à jouer le rôle primordial dans la lutte contre les arthropodes ravageurs du coton. Le choix des insecticides qui sont efficaces contre ces ravageurs, tout en permettant la survie des ennemis naturels, est une bonne pratique et une tactique écologique.Microplitis croceipes, important parasitoide d'Heliothis spp., est relativement peu sensible à certains insecticides quand il est exposé aux plantes traitées. Cependant des insecticides même relativement non toxiques provoquent des altérations significatives dans le comportement de vol et de recherche. De telles interférences subléthales avec des comportements clefs impliqués dans le parasitisme illustrent la nécessité de considérer plus que la toxicité directe quand on estime les effets néfastes des insecticides sur les espèces d'insectes utiles.
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Elzen, G.W., O'Brien, P.J. & Powell, J.E. Toxic and behavioral effects of selected insecticides on theHeliothis parasitoidMicroplitis croceipes . Entomophaga 34, 87–94 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02372591
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02372591