Mortality of Adult Stages of the Biocontrol Agent, Anthocoris nemoralis (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) Exposed to Insecticides

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the mortality of adult stages of Anthocoris nemoralis, a predator of the pear leaf flea, Cacopsylla pyri (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in nature, using four different insecticides namely; spinetoram, chlorpyrifos ethyl, diflubenzuron and spirotetramat at three different period such as 24, 48 and 72 hours. The mortality rate in male adult individuals of A. nemoralis proportionally increased with the exposure time in different insecticide treated environments. The lowest mortality rate of 11.25 % was recorded on 24 hours followed by 45 % and 86.67 % on 48 and 72 hours, respectively. Spinetoram caused the highest mortality (62.78 %), while diflubenzuron resulted in the lowest mortality (41.66 %) in males. The mortality rates in females were similar to those in the males, with the highest mortality seen on the 72 hours of insecticide treatment and the lowest mortality on 24 hours. Unlike in the males, the highest mortality was observed when diflubenzuron was used and the lowest mortality when using spinetoram. The male individuals were found to be more resistant than the females in terms of average period and average time+insecticide in mortality rates with respect to different biological stages of A. nemoralis, except for average means of insecticides. Overall, the average mortality rates in males and females were 47.64 % and 48.96 %, respectively. The findings suggest that the most harmful insecticide to adult stages of the insect was spirotetramat, while chlorpyrifos ethyl was only slightly harmful.

Keywords

• Biocontrol
• insecticide
• mortality
• natural enemy
• predatory insect

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