Curative activity of insecticides against plum curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in tart cherries

Comparing the effectiveness of different insecticide application orders for suppressing Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae) infestation: experimental and modeling approaches

Drosophila suzukii Matsumura (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is a key pest of soft-skinned fruit such as blackberry and blueberry. Differing seasonal spray regimes are expected to have variable effects on D. suzukii populations. Semi-field cage trials were performed at three locations in the United States (Georgia, Oregon, and North Carolina) on blueberry and blackberry crops to evaluate this hypothesis. Insecticides with different efficacy rates (ZC - zeta-cypermethrin, SPI - spinetoram, CYAN - cyantraniliprole) were applied during field experiments conducted within large cages. Treatment schedules consisted of two insecticide applications which performed over three weeks. Seasonal treatment schedules were applied in the following order: ZC-CYAN and CYAN-ZC in rabbiteye and highbush blueberry with the addition of a ZC-SPI treatment applied in blackberry. In addition, a population model was applied to simulate the relative efficacy of the insecticide schedules in Oregon on D. suzukii population model based on previously published efficacy, biological, and weather parameters. Overall, all schedules resulted in reduced D. suzukii infestation compared to untreated control (UTC) treatments, with statistical differences in all three locations. The numerically lower infestation was found in some cases in ZC-CYAN schedule. Population modeling conducted exclusively for blueberry, and the simulations indicated no discernible differences between the two respective schedules (ZC-CYAN vs CYAN-ZC). The present study demonstrates that seasonal infestation of D. suzukii could be suppressed irrespective of application order. Additional research is required to assess the optimal timing and sequence of insecticide applications for controlling seasonal populations of D. suzukii in fruit crops. Such information could be invaluable for growers who are seeking to strategize their insecticide applications.

Resistance Affects the Field Performance of Insecticides Used for Control of Choristoneura rosaceana in Michigan Apples and Cherries

Simple Summary

In the years that Choristoneura rosaceana was first viewed as a primary pest in fruit orchards, it was routinely targeted with insecticides within integrated pest management (IPM) programs. However, the development of resistance against a number of insecticides in C. rosaceana field populations has limited the efficacy of these control programs. One critical component in C. rosaceana management is to test whether the detected resistance levels resulted in a practical resistance, i.e., a “lack of control under field conditions” or not. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the field performance in apple and cherry orchards of different insecticides against resistant C. rosaceana field populations using field-based residual bioassays and residue analysis. Compounds demonstrating low levels of field-evolved resistance in C. rosaceana populations from apple and cherry orchards did not result in practical resistance in the field-based trial (i.e., lack of control under field conditions). However, compounds with high levels of resistance of C. rosaceana resulted in practical resistance in both resistant populations. Only chlorantraniliprole and indoxacarb showed long-lasting residues with measurable leaf residues over all post-application intervals while the leaf residues of the other compounds had largely degraded within the first 7 days. These findings can help fruit growers make adjustments to spray/re-application intervals and optimally utilize important chemical tools in their integrated pest management programs.

Abstract

Field-based residual bioassays and residue analysis were conducted to assess the field performance and toxicity longevity of different insecticides that had previously been associated with resistance of Choristoneura rosaceana populations collected from apple and cherry orchards. In this study, 12–24 h-old larvae of apple and cherry populations were exposed to apple and cherry leaf samples, respectively, at post-application intervals and a susceptible population served as a reference of each. In the apple and cherry trials, the order of residual longevity of insecticides that effectively controlled the tested populations was as follows: bifenthrin and spinetoram (apple: 14, cherry 21-day post-application), phosmet (apple: 7, cherry 14-day post-application), chlorantraniliprole (apple: 7-day post-application), and indoxacarb and emamectin benzoate (apple: 1, cherry 7-day post-application). Compared to the susceptible population, the resistant populations resulted in a measurable loss of field performance, or “practical resistance”, for the insecticides emamectin benzoate (at 7-day post-application), chlorantraniliprole (at 21-day post-application), and indoxacarb (at all post-application intervals) in the apple trials, while in cherry trial just indoxacarb at 7-day post-application showed a reduced efficacy. In terms of long-lasting residues, only chlorantraniliprole and indoxacarb maintained measurable leaf residues over all post-application intervals while the leaf residues of the other compounds had largely degraded within the first 7 days. These findings can help fruit growers make adjustments to their spray/re-application intervals and optimally utilize important chemical tools in their integrated pest management programs.

Optimizing Caneberry Spray Coverage for Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Management on Diversified Fruit Farms

Spray coverage may influence the efficacy of insecticides targeting the invasive vinegar fly Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), a primary pest of raspberries and blackberries. In commercially managed caneberries, spray coverage is typically lowest in the inner and lower plant canopy, regions that overlap with higher levels of adult D. suzukii activity. To understand how spray coverage of fruit impacts efficacy against D. suzukii, laboratory bioassays were conducted using raspberries. In laboratory bioassays, higher spray coverage did not impact larval infestation rates but did increase adult mortality, indicating that flies can avoid a lethal dose of insecticide when applications do not achieve adequate coverage. We also evaluated how carrier water volume impacts spray coverage patterns throughout the canopy of raspberry and blackberry plants using both airblast and CO2 backpack sprayers. Increasing carrier water volume generally improved spray coverage in the lower plant canopy. However, effects in the upper plant canopy were inconsistent and varied between sprayer types. In addition to carrier water volume, other approaches, including adjusting the pesticide sprayer equipment used and/or sprayer calibration, should also be explored to improve coverage. Growers should evaluate spray coverage in their caneberries to identify and troubleshoot coverage issues. Results from this study indicate that taking the time to optimize this aspect of pesticide application may improve chemical management of D. suzukii and will likely also improve control of other important caneberry pests.

Self-assembled bovine serum albumin nanoparticles as pesticide delivery vectors for controlling trunk-boring pests

BACKGROUND

Trunk-boring pests (TBPs) are an important type of forest pest, TBPs not only feed on the branches and trunks of trees, but also spread quarantine diseases in forests. However, because the larvae of TBPs live inside the trunk and are well concealed, prevention and control are difficult. The lack of effective control methods leads to the death of many trees in forests. In this study, a novel nanopesticide featuring high bioactivity and slow-release properties was developed to control TBPs. Thiacloprid (THI), which is commonly used to control Coleoptera species, was used as a model pesticide.

RESULTS

The oleophobic properties of bovine serum albumin (BSA) were exploited to encapsulate the hydrophobic pesticide THI by self-assembly, and the size of the obtained nanoparticles, THI@BSA·NPs, was approximately 23 nm. The loading efficiency reached 70.4%, and THI@BSA·NPs could be released continuously for over 15 days, with the cumulative release reaching 93.5%. The fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled nanoparticles were evenly distributed in the digestive tract and body surface of a typical TBPs, M. alternatus, and the stomach and contact toxicities increased by 33.7% and 25.9%, respectively, compared with those of free THI. Furthermore, the results showed that the transport efficiency of THI@BSA·NPs was highest at a concentration of 50 μg/mL, and the THI@BSA·NPs content in the trunk, from to lower to higher layers, was 8.8, 8.2, 7.6, and 5.8 μg/g. At the same time, THI@BSA·NPs also exhibited high transport efficiency in dead trees.

CONCLUSION

The transport efficiency and toxicity of the active ingredients are the key factors for the control of TBPs. This work provided idea for the application of biological delivery system encapsulated hydrophobic pesticides. The novel self-assembled THI@BSA·NPs have promising potential for sustainable control of TBPs.

Curative Activity of Insecticides Used to Control Spotted-Wing Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Tart Cherry Productions

Spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii Matsumura) is a major pest of soft-skinned fruit and due to the low infestation tolerance for marketable fruit, growers take preventive actions to hinder spotted-wing drosophila damages. Insecticides application is one of the measures taken by growers. Although intensive spraying programs have been used to manage spotted-wing drosophila, its early infestation, rapid reproduction, and vast range of host have caused damage to still occur in fruit, including tart cherries, Prunus ceraus (Linnaeus). Therefore, there is a merit for information on insecticide's curative activity to understand whether sprays manage spotted-wing drosophila individuals within infested fruit. Tart cherry fruit were exposed to spotted-wing drosophila adults for 3 d. After this infestation period, insecticides were applied 1 and 3 d later. Small larvae, large larvae, and pupae were counted 9 d after initial infestation. A parallel set of insecticide-treated tart cherries were subjected to residue analysis. Phosmet and spinetoram were able to reduced live spotted-wing drosophila counts compared with the control at all life stages and insecticide application times, whereas zeta-cypermethrin, acetamiprid, and cyantraniliprole were less consistent in reducing spotted-wing drosophila numbers. Chromobacterium subtsugae demonstrated no curative action. Residue analysis demonstrated that zeta-cypermethrin residues mostly remained on fruit surface. Small portions of phosmet, spinetoram, and cyantraniliprole were able to penetrate fruit surfaces and move into subsurface tissues. Acetamiprid was the only compound which >47% penetrated into the fruit subsurface consistently across both years. Curative activity demonstrated in this study can provide additional tactics for spotted-wing drosophila management in tart cherry Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs.

Exploring an Odor-Baited "Trap Bush" Approach to Aggregate Plum Curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Injury in Blueberries

This 2-year study (2013-2014) assessed the efficacy of an odor-baited "trap bush" approach to aggregate plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar, adult injury, i.e., number of oviposition-scared fruit, in four commercial highbush blueberry farms in New Jersey (USA). In each farm, we compared fruit injury in bushes baited with grandisoic acid and benzaldehyde along the perimeter of trap-bush plots versus unbaited bushes in control plots. We also measured the amount of fruit injury in neighboring bushes (i.e., spillover effect) and in the plots' interior. In both years, the amount of fruit injury by C. nenuphar adults was greater on and near odor-baited bushes in trap-bush plots compared with those on and near unbaited bushes in control plots, indicative of aggregation. Injury in unbaited bushes neighboring trap bushes was often greater than unbaited bushes in control plots, providing some evidence for a spillover effect. However, no difference in fruit injury was found between interior trap-bush and control plots. Therefore, odor-baited trap bushes can be used in blueberries to manipulate C. nenuphar foraging behavior, i.e., aggregate adults, without compromising injury in field interiors. Under this approach, insecticides could then be targeted at only a few (perimeter-row) bushes within fields rather than entire fields.

Choristoneura rosaceana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Resistance to Insecticides in Michigan Apple and Cherry Orchards

Field populations of Obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris), collected from one commercial apple and one commercial cherry orchard in Kent and Newaygo Counties in western Michigan, respectively. A baseline toxicity study of eight insecticides including phosmet, bifenthrin, methomyl, indoxacarb, chlorantraniliprole, spinetoram, emamectin benzoate, and novaluron was conducted on 12- to 24-h-old larvae of the C. rosaceana field populations and compared with a susceptible strain. The resistance levels were low (<10-fold) in all cases except for indoxacarb (>10-fold) in both populations. The cherry population showed levels of resistance to spinetoram, bifenthrin, emamectin benzoate, and indoxacarb with 4.1-, 4.9-, 5.8-, and 21-fold resistance, respectively. The apple population showed levels of resistance to spinetoram, chlorantraniliprole, phosmet, bifenthrin, emamectin benzoate, and indoxacarb with 4.3-, 4.7-, 5-, 5-, 6.3-, and 620.4-fold resistance, respectively. Generally, the apple population showed lower resistance levels to more compounds than the cherry population. Resistance to these insecticides should be monitored periodically for further changes. This represents the first documented case of insecticide resistance for C. rosaceana collected from a cherry orchard in Michigan. A statewide survey of more commercial orchards would help determine the extent of insecticide resistance across Michigan's five tree fruit production regions.

Dissipation kinetics, pre-harvest residue limits, and hazard quotient assessments of pesticides flubendiamide and fluopicolide in Korean melon (Cucumis melo L. var. makuwa) grown under regulated conditions in plastic greenhouses

The dissipation kinetics, pre-harvest residue limits, and hazard quotient (HQ) assessments of the pesticides flubendiamide and fluopicolide were conducted for Korean melon (Cucumis melo L. var. makuwa) cultivated at two different sites. A single extraction and cleanup procedure was carried out using acetone (partitioned with dichloromethane) and amino solid-phase extraction cartridges, respectively. Residue analysis was performed by HPLC with ultraviolet detection. Both pesticides showed excellent linearity with correlation coefficients of 0.9999 and 0.9996 for flubendiamide and fluopicolide, respectively. The accuracy (expressed as recovery %) at three spiking levels was 92.0-103.6 and 82.8-105.3%, and the precision (expressed as relative standard deviation) was 1.7-3.4 and 2.7-5.3% for flubendiamide and fluopicolide, respectively. The initial residues of flubendiamide/fluopicolide were 0.326/0.376 and 0.206/0.298 mg/kg at sites 1 and 2, respectively. These amounts were substantially lower than the maximum residue limits (MRLs = 1 and 0.5 mg/kg for flubendiamide and fluopicolide, respectively) established by the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The half-lives of flubendiamide were 5.8 and 6.5 days, and those of fluopicolide were 6.7 and 9.1 days at sites 1 and 2, respectively. The shorter half-lives were attributed to seasonal variations (higher temperatures) and enzymatic and metabolic profiling. The risk assessment HQs of flubendiamide were 0.217/0.249 on day 0, which decreased to 0.102/0.168 on day 5, and to 0.065/0.88 on day 10; the HQ values for fluopicolide were 0.029/0.042, 0.022/0.025, and 0.010/0.019 on day 0, day 5, and day 10, for sites 1/2, respectively. From this data, we concluded that the fruits could be consumed safely.

Evaluating electrophysiological and behavioral responses to volatiles for improvement of odor-baited trap tree management of Conotrachelus nenuphar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst), one of the most important pests of apple in eastern and central North America, is usually managed in New England apple orchards by multiple full-block insecticide applications. Efforts to reduce insecticide inputs against plum curculio include using an "attract and kill" approach: odor-baited trap trees deployed in the perimeter row of apple orchards. The standard approach is based on baiting apple trees with two olfactory stimuli, the fruit volatile benzaldehyde and the aggregation pheromone of plum curculio, grandisoic acid. We attempted to improve attraction, aggregation, and retention of adult plum curculios within specific baited trap tree canopies within apple orchards using an additional host plant volatile found to be highly stimulating in electroantennogram studies, trans-2-hexenal. We also attempted to increase aggregation using increased release rates of grandisoic acid. We found that trans-2-hexenal did not provide increased aggregation when deployed as an additional attractant within trap trees or when conversely deployed as a "push" component or repellent in perimeter trees lateral to the baited trap tree. Although increasing the release rate of grandisoic acid 5× actually appeared to increase overall aggregation within trap trees, it was not significantly different than that obtained using the standard dose. Therefore, we believe that the standard olfactory stimuli are sufficient to provide aggregation within trap trees, but that other means should be used to manage them after their arrival.

Lethality of reduced-risk insecticides against plum curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in blueberries, with emphasis on their curative activity

BACKGROUND

Historically, management of plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst), in highbush blueberries has focused on post-bloom broad-spectrum insecticide applications targeting the adults. Here, the efficacy of different classes of insecticides against various stages of C. nenuphar was compared, and a prebloom treatment with the chitin synthesis inhibitor novaluron in combination with a post-bloom insecticide application was tested.

RESULTS

Novaluron decreased the number of oviposition scars and eggs on fruit and reduced larval emergence by >60% when applied prebloom. Post-bloom applications of the oxadiazine indoxacarb and the organophosphate phosmet, but not the neonicotinoid acetamiprid, showed significant adulticidal activity. The neonicotinoids acetamiprid and thiamethoxam and phosmet showed significant curative activity on C. nenuphar larvae when applied topically to infested fruit, whereas the pyrethroid fenpropathrin, indoxacarb and novaluron were weaker curative agents. Residue profiles showed that acetamiprid and phosmet residues had the highest levels while fenpropathrin and novaluron had the lowest levels of fruit penetration.

CONCLUSIONS

In blueberries, novaluron showed anti-ovipositional/ovicidal activity, indoxacarb and phosmet showed adulticidal activity, while the neonicotinoids and phosmet showed best curative (larvicidal) control on C. nenuphar. A prebloom novaluron application in combination with a post-bloom treatment with an adulticidal/larvicidal insecticide is recommended for optimal multi-life-stage management of C. nenuphar. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of insecticide and fungicide residue contact on plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst), mobility and mortality: implications for pest management

BACKGROUND

An evaluation was made of the effects of seven neurotoxic insecticides (esfenvalerate, indoxacarb, clothianidin, thiacloprid, azinphosmethyl, phosmet and imidacloprid), one insect growth regulator (novaluron) and two fungicides (myclobutanin and mancozeb), with water as the control, on the horizontal mobility of plum curculios exposed to dried pesticide residues. Mobility was recorded over a 2 h period using ethological tracking software. Mortality was recorded immediately after horizontal mobility experiments and 24 h later.

RESULTS

Esfenvalerate had the greatest impact on mobility. Immediately after exposure to this compound, plum curculios moved significantly greater distances and for a significantly longer period of time compared with all other compounds. After 24 h, esfenvalerate also led to high mortality rates (>86.0%). Exposure to azinphosmethyl and phosmet also led to high rates of mortality, although the impact on mobility was less pronounced. Exposure to indoxacarb, thiacloprid, imidacloprid, novaluron, myclobutanin and mancozeb had no impact on mobility and resulted in little to no mortality. Clothianidin affected mobility after a 2 h exposure period, and high mortality (60%) was recorded after 24 h.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that, in the context of a treated orchard, plum curculios exposed to dried pesticide residues may be capable of foraging before succumbing to toxicant exposure, while exposure to pesticides such as esfenvalerate may rapidly incapacitate adult plum curculios.

Systemic effects of thiamethoxam and chlorantraniliprole seed treatments on adult Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in rice

BACKGROUND

Feeding assays using adult rice water weevils and foliage of plants treated as seeds with chlorantraniliprole and thiamethoxam at different rates were conducted to evaluate the systemic adulticidal and feeding effects. Dose-mortality relationships were determined for thiamethoxam seed treatments by combining leaf area lost due to feeding and insecticide residues analyzed by LC/MS/MS. Changes in adulticidal activity of thiamethoxam were also investigated by contrasting adult mortalities at the 5-6-leaf and tillering stages of rice.

RESULTS

Adult weevil mortalities and leaf consumption rates on foliage were affected in thiamethoxam but not in chlorantraniliprole treatments when rice was at the 6-7-leaf stage. The LD(50) for weevils feeding on thiamethoxam-treated rice at the 2-3-leaf stage was 447 pg insecticide weevil(-1) (95% CL: 25-830 pg weevil(-1)) but was lower (142 pg weevil(-1); 95% CL: 102-180 pg weevil(-1)) in experiments with 3-4-leaf-stage plants. Mortalities on leaves from 5-6-leaf-stage plants were consistently higher than on leaves from tillering plants. Thiamethoxam residues measured by ELISA increased with seed treatment rate and differed between plant stages.

CONCLUSION

The LD(50) values developed in this study are the first values for leaf-feeding insects on foliage of plants treated as seeds with thiamethoxam. The attrition of adulticidal activity of thiamethoxam in foliage of older plants may help to explain the reduced effectiveness of seed treatments against rice water larvae that is seen at later stages of rice growth in field studies. The differential activity of these two seed treatments on adults suggests that adult mortality contributes to the field efficacy of thiamethoxam but not to that of chlorantraniliprole.

Determination of residual flubendiamide in the cabbage by QuEChERS-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Flubendiamide, which belongs to the new chemical class of phthalic acid diamides, is widely used against lepidopteron pests in a variety of vegetable and rice pests. It provides superior plant protection against a broad range of economically important lepidopterous pests, including Spodoptera exigua and Plutella xylostella. A determination method of flubendiamide in the cabbage was established in this paper. Flubendiamide in the cabbage was extracted with acetonitrile and ultrasonic extraction, and was purified by QuEChERS and analyzed by LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry). The results indicated that the average recovery of flubendiamide in the cabbage was 81.27%-91.45%, the coefficient of variation was 1.79%-4.81%, and the lowest detection concentration was 0.3 μg/kg. The extraction of flubendiamide from the cabbage and its analysis was in accordance with the pesticide residue criterion, i.e., simple, rapid, accurate, reproducible, stable, separatory, and convenient. It identifies and quantifies trace-level flubendiamide residues in the cabbage extracts using LC-MS/MS in the ESI negative mode coupled with the QuEChERS method.

Penetrative and dislodgeable residue characteristics of 14C-insecticides in apple fruit

Infinite- and finite-dose laboratory experiments were used to study the penetrative and dislodgeable residue characteristics of (14)C-insecticides in apple fruit. The differences in dislodgeable and penetrated residues of three radiolabeled insecticides ((14)C-thiamethoxam, (14)C-thiacloprid, and (14)C-indoxacarb), applied in aqueous solution with commercial formulations, were determined after water and methanol wash extractions. The rate of sorption and extent of penetration into the fruit cuticles and hypanthium of two apple cultivars were measured after 1, 6, and 24 h of treatment exposure, using radioactivity quantification methods. For all three compounds, 97% or more of the treatment solutions were found on the fruit surface as some form of non-sorbed residues. For indoxacarb, sorption into the epicuticle was rapid but desorption into the fruit hypanthium was delayed, indicative of a lipophilic penetration pathway. For the neonicotinoids, initial cuticular penetration was slower but with no such delay in desorption into the hypanthium.

Seletividade de inseticidas utilizados na cultura algodoeira a ovos e larvas de terceiro instar de Cycloneda sanguinea

Objetivou-se avaliar a seletividade fisiológica de inseticidas utilizados em algodoeiro para ovos e larvas de terceiro instar de Cycloneda sanguinea (Linnaeus, 1763) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Os produtos utilizados em g i.a. L-1 de água foram triflumurom 0,048 (Certero 480 SC), espinosade 0,24 (Tracer 480 SC), clorfenapir 1,2 (Pirate 240 SC), clotianidina 0,33 (Focus 500 PM) e imidaclopride 0,33 + β-ciflutrina 0,042 (Connect 100 + 12,5 SC). Utilizou-se água destilada como tratamento testemunha. Tanto ovos quanto larvas foram distribuídos em placas de Petri e tratados com os inseticidas por meio de pulverização em torre de Potter. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o inteiramente ao acaso, com cinco repetições e seis tratamentos constituídos pelos cinco inseticidas e pela testemunha, sendo que cada parcela foi composta por dez ovos ou dez larvas de terceiro instar. Avaliaram-se o período embrionário e a viabilidade de ovos tratados; sobrevivência e duração de larvas de terceiro instar; sobrevivência e duração dos estágios de desenvolvimento larval e pupal, razão sexual e o total de ovos colocados pelas fêmeas provenientes de ovos e larvas de terceiro instar tratados. Os bioensaios foram conduzidos a 25 ± 2º C, UR 60 ± 10% e fotofase de 12h. O inseticida triflumurom 0,048 foi seletivo a ovos do predador e levemente nocivo a larvas de terceiro instar. Espinosade 0,24 foi levemente nocivo a ovos e larvas de terceiro instar, e clorfenapir 1,2; clotianidina 0,33 e imidaclopride 0,33 + β-ciflutrina 0,042 foram prejudiciais a ovos e larvas de terceiro instar de C. sanguinea.

Residual activity of methoprene and novaluron as surface treatments to manage the flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum and Tribolium confusum

The juvenile hormone analog methoprene, and the chitin synthesis inhibitor novaluron, were evaluated by exposing late-stage larvae of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) or Tribolium confusum (Jacqueline DuVal) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) to it. The larvae were exposed to it in food material, on concrete, on plywood, and on floor tile. Larvae of T. castaneum were more susceptible than T. confusum larvae to both methoprene and novaluron on all surfaces. A further evaluation was done by exposing adult T. confusum to methoprene and novaluron through food placed on concrete treated with methoprene and novaluron, and then assessing resulting progeny production. The emergence of adults with normal morphology was reduced for both chemicals, with more malformed adults appearing in the methoprene treatment, and fewer adults of any form emerging in the novaluron treatment. The results show direct exposures to larvae, or determining progeny production from exposed adults, are valid methods for assessing the susceptibility of flour beetles to insecticides.

Field evaluation of reduced insecticide spray programs for managing plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in Alabama peaches

BACKGROUND

Plum curculio (PC), Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst.), is an important pest of peaches in the southeastern United States. Commercially acceptable control of this insect is typically achieved by weekly or biweekly application of broad-spectrum conventional insecticides, resulting in 6-12 sprays per season. Experiments were conducted in a peach orchard in Alabama during 2007-2009 to compare the conventional calendar-based insecticide spray program involving weekly applications of phosmet with three different reduced spray programs using three targeted (well-timed) insecticide sprays (TIS) of phosmet, permethrin or thiamethoxam applied in an alternated fashion.

RESULTS

All three TIS programs significantly reduced PC damage at harvest compared with the untreated control in two of the three years (2008 and 2009). Fruit damage due to stink bugs, which are emerging pests of peaches in the region, was also significantly reduced in the TIS programs in both years. In a separate trial in which one of the TIS programs (three targeted sprays of phosmet) was evaluated in a larger peach block in 2009, percentage fruit damage due to PC increased from < 1% in June to ~4% in late July.

CONCLUSION

All the TIS programs evaluated provided effective control of PC and represent potential alternatives to the conventional weekly spray program in peaches with concomitant reduction in insecticide usage and associated costs. However, an additional spray may be necessary for effective control of PC and stink bugs in late-season peach varieties.

Plum curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) adult mortality and associated fruit injury after exposure to field-aged insecticides on tart cherry branches

Plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), adults were exposed to field-aged residues of thiamethoxam, acetamiprid, thiacloprid, indoxacarb, or azinphos-methyl on tart cherry, Prunus cerasus L. variety Montmorency. At 1, 3, 7, and 14 d postapplication, fruit were sampled for chemical residues, and bioassays were used to assess beetle mortality and plant tissue injury. Azinphos-methyl had lethal activity within 1 d of exposure at all postapplication intervals and significant fruit protection extended to 14 d postapplication. All of the neonicotinoids had lethal activity at 3 d posttreatment, with acetamiprid activity extending to 7 d. Antifeedant and oviposition deterrent effects were seen with thiamethoxam and thiacloprid; damage incidence was significantly reduced in the absence of significant beetle mortality or intoxication. Thiamethoxam and acetamiprid penetrated into leaf and fruit tissue and were detected in the interior tissues at 14 d postapplication, but interior thiacloprid residues were not detected after day 1. Indoxacarb provided some fruit protection out to 7 d postapplication, and 14-d-old residues intoxicated beetles, but the slow action of this compound allowed significant damage to occur before beetles were incapacitated. Indoxacarb was only detected as a surface residue after the first day postapplication. These data on the plant-insect-chemistry interactions will support use and management decisions as compounds with acute contact activity are phased out.