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Lethal and sublethal effects of insecticides on Engytatus varians (Heteroptera: Miridae), a predator of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

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Abstract

The mirid Engytatus varians (Distant) is a promising biological control agent of the tomato borer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), one of the most destructive pests of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.). The effects of five insecticides commonly used on tomato crops in Brazil were evaluated on E. varians in laboratory and semifield conditions. Glass Petri dish with residues of chlorfenapyr, thiamethoxam, and abamectin caused ˃90% mortality in both stages of the predator 72 h post-treatment, except imidacloprid that caused 78% of nymphs mortality. Teflubenzuron caused 24 and 66% mortality on adults and nymphs, respectively. The offspring of females derived from treated nymphs with teflubenzuron was significantly lower than the control but not when females were treated as adults. Longevity of males derived from nymphs treated with teflubenzuron was significantly reduced, but no effects were observed on females. When males and females were treated as adults with teflubenzuron there were no effects on their longevity. In the greenhouse-aged tomato plants, the 2 h-old residues of thiamethoxam, chlorfenapyr, and abamectin caused more than 70% of mortality of third instar of E. varians at 72 h post-treatment, 12 day-old residues of all three compounds caused a mortality lower than 30%. These data suggest that teflubenzuron can be associated with releases of E. varians adults, while the use of other evaluated pesticides should be avoided in this situation. Although, the low persistence of these products indicate that their spraying and later releases of E. varians adults on tomato crops are a possible strategy to control T. absoluta.

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Acknowledgements

D.AP-A received a premaster fellowship from Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología-Mexico. This work was financially supported by the Coordinación de la Investigación Científica, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo; Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG), and the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).

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  1. Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Km. 9.5 Carretera Morelia-Zinapécuaro, Tarímbaro, Michoacán, 58880, Mexico

    Daniel Alberto Pérez-Aguilar, Ana Mabel Martínez & Samuel Pineda

  2. Departamento de Entomologia, Laboratório de Ecotoxicologia de Inseticidas, Universidade Federal de Lavras, Caixa Postal 3037, Lavras, MG, CEP 37200-000, Brazil

    Marianne Araújo Soares, Luis Clepf Passos & Geraldo Andrade Carvalho

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  1. Daniel Alberto Pérez-Aguilar
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Pérez-Aguilar, D.A., Soares, M.A., Passos, L.C. et al. Lethal and sublethal effects of insecticides on Engytatus varians (Heteroptera: Miridae), a predator of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Ecotoxicology 27, 719–728 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-018-1954-0

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