The Insecticidal Efficacy and Physiological Action Mechanism of a Novel Agent GC16 against Tetranychus pueraricola (Acari: Tetranychidae)

• Published in: Insects (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 13; no. 5; p. 433
• Main Authors: He, Yanyan, Du, Guangzu, Xie, Shunxia, Long, Xiaoming, Sun, Ganlin, Zhu, Shusheng, He, Xiahong, Liu, Yixiang, Zhu, Youyong, Chen, Bin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 05.05.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Abnormalities; Acari; Acaricides; action mechanism; Agriculture; Bioassays; Biodiversity; Calcium chloride; Chemical control; Chemical pest control; Crop damage; Damage; Dehydration; Eggs; Epicuticle; Females; Food additives; GC16; Harmonia axyridis; insecticidal activity; Insecticide resistance; Insects; Larvae; Lecithin; Lethal effects; Microscopy; Mites; Mitochondria; Mode of action; Mortality; Organelles; Pest control; Pest resistance; Pesticides; Pests; Physiology; Picromerus lewisi; Scanning electron microscopy; Sustainable agriculture; Synergistic effect; Tetranychidae; Tetranychus pueraricola; Toxicity; Transmission electron microscopy; Beijing China; China; Yunnan China; GC16; action mechanism; Tetranychus pueraricola; insecticidal activity
• ISSN: 2075-4450; 2075-4450
• DOI: 10.3390/insects13050433

Chemical control plays a crucial role in pest management but has to face challenges due to insect resistance. It is important to discover alternatives to traditional pesticides. The spider mite (Ehara & Gotoh) (Acari: Tetranychidae) is a major agricultural pest that causes severe damage to many crops. GC16 is a new agent that consists of a mixture of Calcium chloride (CaCl ) and lecithin. To explore the acaricidal effects and mode of action of GC16 against , bioassays, cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed. GC16 had lethal effects on the eggs, larvae, nymphs, and adults of , caused the mites to dehydrate and inactivate, and inhibited the development of eggs. GC16 displayed contact toxicity rather than stomach toxicity through the synergistic effects of CaCl with lecithin. Cryo-SEM analysis revealed that GC16 damaged by disordering the array of the cuticle layer crest. Mitochondrial abnormalities were detected by TEM in mites treated by GC16. Overall, GC16 had the controlling efficacy on by cuticle penetration and mitochondria dysfunction and had no effects on and , indicating that GC16 is likely a new eco-friendly acaricide.