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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Salinas, California » Crop Improvement and Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #285595
Title: Effects of phosphine fumigation on survivorship of Epiphyas postvittana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) eggs

Author
item Liu, Yong Biao
item Liu, Samuel
item SIMMONS, GREGORY - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
item Walse, Spencer
item MYERS, SCOTT - Animal And Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

Submitted to: Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/17/2013
Publication Date: 7/1/2013
Citation: Liu, Y., Liu, S.S., Simmons, G., Walse, S.S., Myers, S.W. 2013. Effects of phosphine fumigation on survivorship of Epiphyas postvittana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) eggs. Journal of Economic Entomology. 106(4):1613-1618.

Interpretive Summary: Oxygenated phosphine fumigation has been demonstrated to be significantly more effective against insect pests than regular phosphine fumigation. In this study, light brown apple moth (LBAM) eggs were found to be very tolerant of phosphine fumigation. Four day fumigation treatments under different temperatures failed in achieving effective control of LBAM eggs regardless of phosphine concentrations. It was also found that phosphine concentrations of 1000 to 2000 ppm seemed to most effective and LBAM eggs had higher survival rates when phosphine concentration was below 1000 ppm or reached 3000 ppm. Oxygenated phosphine fumigation treatments were much more effective and complete control of LBAM eggs was achieved in =72 hrs at 5 and 10°C. This study suggests that control of LBAM with oxygenated phosphine fumigation is feasible.

Technical Abstract: Light brown apple moth (LBAM), Epiphyas postvittana (Walker), eggs were subjected to regular and oxygenated phosphine fumigations at different temperatures to compare their susceptibilities to the two different fumigation methods and determine effective treatments in laboratory tests. LBAM eggs were very tolerant of phosphine fumigation and no effective control was found in 4 day regular phosphine fumigation. Furthermore, after egg survivorship decreased to a certain level with increased phosphine concentration, further increases in phosphine concentrations not only did not reduce egg survivorship but also resulted in increased egg survivorship in specific treatments. Oxygenated phosphine fumigation was significantly more effective than regular phosphine fumigation as indicated by significantly lower egg survivorships as compared with regular phosphine fumigation. Complete control of LBAM eggs was found in =72 h at 5 and 10°C. The results of this indicated that oxygenated phosphine fumigation has a potential to control LBAM for quarantine treatment.