Contact effects of sulfoxaflor, spirotetramat and flonicamid on key natural enemies in citrus orchards

Hasan Maral; Hasan Sungur Civelek; Mehmet Rifat Ulusoy

doi:10.31015/jaefs.2026.3.27

Contact effects of sulfoxaflor, spirotetramat and flonicamid on key natural enemies in citrus orchards

Abstract

Türkiye is one of the most important citrus producers, where red scale, Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), and citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri Risso (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), cause significant quality and yield losses. This study evaluated the contact effects of sulfoxaflor 240 g/L (15 and 20 ml/da), spirotetramat 100 g/L (75 and 100 ml/da) and flonicamid 500 g/kg (15 g/da) on the larvae, pupae, adults and eggs of the predator Chilocorus bipustulatus (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and on the adults of the parasitoids Leptomastix dactylopii Howard and Anagyrus pseudococci Girault (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), key natural enemies of P. citri, and Aphytis melinus DeBach (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), a key parasitoid of A. aurantii. Laboratory bioassays followed the IOBC dry-film method in a randomized complete block design with six treatments (including an untreated control) and four independent replications at 25 ± 1 °C, 65 ± 5% relative humidity and a 16/8 h light/dark photoperiod, and were complemented by semi-field cage experiments on potted orange seedlings in an uncultivated greenhouse. Corrected mortality was classified according to the rating scale of the International Organisation for Biological Control (IOBC), the laboratory scale being applied to the laboratory bioassays and the separate semi-field scale to the cage experiments. All products tested were harmless (class 1) or only slightly harmful (class 2) to the different biological stages of C. bipustulatus, with mean corrected mortality never exceeding 71%. In contrast, both doses of sulfoxaflor caused 100% mortality of all three parasitoid species under laboratory conditions and were rated harmful (class 4), whereas the lower dose of spirotetramat was harmless (class 1) to A. pseudococci adults and flonicamid was harmless (class 1) to L. dactylopii adults. Flonicamid was moderately harmful (class 3) to A. pseudococci adults in the laboratory and harmful (class 4) under semi-field conditions. Selectivity was therefore species-, dose- and exposure-dependent: sulfoxaflor was of low toxicity to C. bipustulatus but harmful to all three parasitoids in the laboratory; spirotetramat, particularly at the lower dose, was harmless or slightly harmful to A. pseudococci but slightly to moderately harmful to L. dactylopii; and flonicamid differed sharply between the two parasitoids of P. citri. Recommendations for the use of these insecticides in integrated pest management should therefore take account of the natural enemy species present.

Keywords

Biological control, Citrus, Integrated pest management, IOBC, Natural enemies, Pesticide selectivity

Thanks

The authors thank the Western Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute (BATEM) and Koppert Biyolojik Mücadele ve Polinasyon Sistemleri Ltd. Şti. for supplying the parasitoid material, and the Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Süleyman Demirel University, for providing the starter culture of Chilocorus bipustulatus.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Pesticides and Toxicology

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Hasan Maral ^*
0000-0001-9201-8758
Türkiye

Hasan Sungur Civelek
0000-0003-2316-9813
Türkiye

Mehmet Rifat Ulusoy
0000-0001-6610-1398
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

September 24, 2026

Publication Date

September 25, 2026

Submission Date

July 31, 2026

Acceptance Date

September 23, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 10 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31015/jaefs.2026.3.27

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA39DG53PT

APA

Maral, H., Civelek, H. S., & Ulusoy, M. R. (2026). Contact effects of sulfoxaflor, spirotetramat and flonicamid on key natural enemies in citrus orchards. International Journal of Agriculture Environment and Food Sciences, 10(3), 791-801. https://doi.org/10.31015/jaefs.2026.3.27

AMA

1.Maral H, Civelek HS, Ulusoy MR. Contact effects of sulfoxaflor, spirotetramat and flonicamid on key natural enemies in citrus orchards. int. j. agric. environ. food sci. 2026;10(3):791-801. doi:10.31015/jaefs.2026.3.27

Chicago

Maral, Hasan, Hasan Sungur Civelek, and Mehmet Rifat Ulusoy. 2026. “Contact Effects of Sulfoxaflor, Spirotetramat and Flonicamid on Key Natural Enemies in Citrus Orchards”. International Journal of Agriculture Environment and Food Sciences 10 (3): 791-801. https://doi.org/10.31015/jaefs.2026.3.27.

EndNote

Maral H, Civelek HS, Ulusoy MR (September 1, 2026) Contact effects of sulfoxaflor, spirotetramat and flonicamid on key natural enemies in citrus orchards. International Journal of Agriculture Environment and Food Sciences 10 3 791–801.

IEEE

[1]H. Maral, H. S. Civelek, and M. R. Ulusoy, “Contact effects of sulfoxaflor, spirotetramat and flonicamid on key natural enemies in citrus orchards”, int. j. agric. environ. food sci., vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 791–801, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.31015/jaefs.2026.3.27.

ISNAD

Maral, Hasan - Civelek, Hasan Sungur - Ulusoy, Mehmet Rifat. “Contact Effects of Sulfoxaflor, Spirotetramat and Flonicamid on Key Natural Enemies in Citrus Orchards”. International Journal of Agriculture Environment and Food Sciences 10/3 (September 1, 2026): 791-801. https://doi.org/10.31015/jaefs.2026.3.27.

JAMA

1.Maral H, Civelek HS, Ulusoy MR. Contact effects of sulfoxaflor, spirotetramat and flonicamid on key natural enemies in citrus orchards. int. j. agric. environ. food sci. 2026;10:791–801.

MLA

Maral, Hasan, et al. “Contact Effects of Sulfoxaflor, Spirotetramat and Flonicamid on Key Natural Enemies in Citrus Orchards”. International Journal of Agriculture Environment and Food Sciences, vol. 10, no. 3, Sept. 2026, pp. 791-0, doi:10.31015/jaefs.2026.3.27.

Vancouver

1.Hasan Maral, Hasan Sungur Civelek, Mehmet Rifat Ulusoy. Contact effects of sulfoxaflor, spirotetramat and flonicamid on key natural enemies in citrus orchards. int. j. agric. environ. food sci. 2026 Sep. 1;10(3):791-80. doi:10.31015/jaefs.2026.3.27

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Contact effects of sulfoxaflor, spirotetramat and flonicamid on key natural enemies in citrus orchards

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International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Food Sciences