Toxicity and Influence of Sublethal Exposure to Sulfoxaflor on the Aphidophagous Predator Hippodamia variegata (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

• Published in: Toxics (Basel) Vol. 11; no. 6; p. 533
• Main Authors: Skouras, Panagiotis J, Karanastasi, Eirini, Demopoulos, Vasilis, Mprokaki, Marina, Stathas, George J, Margaritopoulos, John T
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 14.06.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Agricultural practices; Aphidoidea; Bioassays; biological control; coccinellids; Confidence intervals; ecotoxicology; Exposure; Females; Hippodamia variegata; Insecticides; Insects; Integrated pest management; IPM; Laboratories; Larvae; Mortality; Pest control; Pesticides; Pests; Predators; side effect; Toxicity; Toxicity testing; Weeds; Greece; side effect; biological control; insecticides; coccinellids; ecotoxicology; IPM
• ISSN: 2305-6304; 2305-6304
• DOI: 10.3390/toxics11060533

(Goeze), the variegated ladybug, is a predator of many insect pests, especially aphids. Sulfoxaflor is a chemical insecticide that can be used to control many sap-feeding insect pests, for instance, plant bugs and aphids, as an alternative to neonicotinoids in different crops. To improve the combination of the and sulfoxaflor in an IPM (integrated pest management) program, we studied the ecological toxicity of the insecticide to the coccinellid predator at sublethal and lethal doses. We examined the influence of sulfoxaflor on larvae of using exposure doses of 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 (maximum recommended field rate (MRFR)), and 96 ng a.i. per insect. In a 15-day toxicity test, we observed decreased adult emergence percentage and survival, as well as an increased hazard quotient. The LD (dose causing 50% mortality) of due to sulfoxaflor decreased from 97.03 to 35.97 ng a.i. per insect. The total effect assessment indicated that sulfoxaflor could be grouped as slightly harmful for . Additionally, most of the life table parameters were significantly decreased after exposure to sulfoxaflor. Overall, the results present a negative influence of sulfoxaflor on when applied at the recommended field dose for controlling aphids in Greece, which demonstrates that this insecticide may only be employed with care when used in IPM programs.