Author
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Knight, Alan |
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Submitted to: Pest Management Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 7/6/2006 Publication Date: 2/1/2007 Citation: Knight, A.L. 2007. Disruption of mating in codling moth (lepidoptera: tortricidae) by an anthranilamid insecticide. Pest Management Science. 63:180-189. Interpretive Summary: Codling moth is the key insect pest of apples and pears in the Pacific Northwest, with very little commercial tolerance for fruit damage. Management of codling moth can require a combination of sex pheromone for mating disruption and several insecticide applications. Sex pheromones alone are at best moderately effective, and it has developed resistance to many of the most important classes of insecticides. A new class of insecticides, anthranilamides, has been discovered and one compound was evaluated against adult moths. Unexpectedly, this compound was shown to interfere with mating of moths. A series of laboratory and field tests demonstrated this effect. Under a seasonal spray program in apple a greater proportion of female moths were virgin in orchards treated with this material than in similar orchards treated with sex pheromone alone. The combination of this compound’s insecticidal toxicity and its interference with mating may allow this new material to be integrated with sex pheromones to improve control of codling moth. Technical Abstract: The influence of the anthranilamid insecticide, DPX-E2Y45, was evaluated against the adult stage of codling moth, Cydia pomonella L. Insecticide residues sprayed in plastic cups had a minimal effect on adult survivorship or fecundity, however, significantly fewer female moths were mated in treated versus untreated cups. Similar results were found in field studies with adults placed in screened cages on treated apple foliage for up to 3 wks. Males were more sensitive to the disruptive effects of DPX-E2Y45 than females. Male moths partially recovered from either topical or residual exposure to DPX-E2Y45, but the extent of their recovery was dose and time dependent. Mating by moth pairs exposed to DPX-E2Y45 residues for 24 h did not significantly increase during recovery periods of 24 to 96 h, except in cups treated with 10% of the standard concentration. The proportion of field-collected female codling moths caught in pear ester-baited traps that were mated was significantly lower in apple orchards treated season-long with DPX-E2Y45 versus females caught in either untreated orchards or those treated with sex pheromone mating disruption. |
