Bioactivity of Selected Eco-Friendly Pesticides Against Cylas formicarius (Coleoptera: Brentidae)

Authors

  • Peter H. Leng
  • Gadi V. P. Reddy

Abstract

Seven low risk pesticides including 1.2% azadirachtin (Azadirachta indica), extracts from Morinda citrifolia, petroleum oil 97%, Beauveria bassiana strain GHA, mixed essential oils (rosemary oil: 0.25%, peppermint oil: 0.25%, thyme oil: 0.25%, clove oil: 0.25% and other ingredients: 99.00%), spinosad and malathion, were evaluated against adults of the sweetpotato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Brentidae) to determine potential insecticidal, repellent and feeding deterrence effects. Among the pesticides tested, A. indica and spinosad showed high insecticidal, repellent and feeding deterrence activity against C. formicarius. Spinosad, A. indica and malathion showed significantly higher insecticidal activity against C. formicarius. Similarly, these pesticides showed high repellency activity against adults, particularly 3-4 h after the treatment. The lowest food consumption was observed with the A. indica (0.8 g/adult/192 h), and the highest (9.9 g/adult/192 h) was with the petroleum oil spray. The other tested pesticides showed comparable activities. The chemicals we tested—particularly neem and spinosad—are therefore promising candidates as ecofriendly chemicals that could potentially replace broad-spectrum synthetic neurotoxins for control of C. formicarius.

Resumen: Se evaluaron siete plaguicidas de bajo riesgo incluyendo 1.2% de azadiractina (Azadirachta indica), extractos de Morinda citrifolia, 97% de aceite de petróleo, una cepa GHA de Beauveria bassiana, aceites esenciales mezclados (aceite de romero: 0.25%, el aceite de menta: 0.25%, aceite de tomillo: 0.25%, aceite de clavo: 0.25% y otros ingredientes: 99.00%), spinosad y malatión contra adultos del gorgojo del camote, Cylas formicarius (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Brentidae) para determinar los efectos potenciales como insecticidas, repelentes y inbididores de alimentación. Entre los pesticidas probados, A. indica y spinosad mostró una alta actividad de insecticida, repelente y disuador de alimentación contra C. formicarius. El spinosad, A. indica y malatión mostraron una actividad insecticida significativamente mayor contra C. formicarius. Del mismo modo, estos plaguicidas mostraron una alta actividad repelente contra los adultos, sobre todo después de 3-4 horas del tratamiento. Se observó el menor consumo de alimento con la A. indica (0.8 g/adulto/192 h) y la más alta (9.9 g/adulto/192 h) fue con la asperción de aceite de petróleo. Los otros plaguicidas probados mostraron actividades comparables. Los químicos que probamos en particular neem y spinosad, son por lo tanto, candidatos prometedores que no perjudican el medio ambiente y que potencialmente podrían reemplazar las neurotoxinas sintéticas de amplio espectro para el control de C. formicarius.

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Published

2012-12-01

Issue

Vol. 95, No. 4 (December 2012)

Section

Research Papers

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