Flubendiamide Resistance and Its Mode of Inheritance in Tomato Pinworm ITuta absoluta/I

• Published in: Insects (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 13; no. 11
• Main Authors: Zang, Lian-Sheng, Akhtar, Zunnu Raen, Ali, Asad, Tariq, Kaleem, Campos, Mateus R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 01.11.2022
• Subjects: Biological research; Biology, Experimental; Chemical properties; Genetic aspects; Heredity; Insecticide resistance; Moths; Pesticides; Physiological aspects; Pakistan
• ISSN: 2075-4450; 2075-4450
• DOI: 10.3390/insects13111023

Tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), is the major pest of tomato crops in Pakistan. To develop a better insecticide resistance management strategy and evaluate the risk of resistance evolution, a field collected population of tomato pinworm was selected with flubendiamide in the laboratory. We investigated the genetics of flubendiamide resistance by selecting a field strain of tomato pinworm with commercial flubendiamide formulation and dose-response mortality of flubendiamide-selected generation to other insecticides. The flubendiamide-selected (Fluben-sel) strain demonstrated a higher concentration-mortality response against chlorantraniliprole, thiamethoxam, permethrin, abamectin and tebufenozide compared to the unselected population. The backcross analysis of F[sub.1] × resistant parent suggests that resistance is controlled by more than one factor. Resistance progression from 38 to 520 folds demonstrated that T. absoluta can develop a higher level of resistance. These results could be helpful to design resistance management strategies for the tomato pinworm. Tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is the major pest of tomato crops in Pakistan. Insecticides are commonly used for the management of this insect-pest. To develop a better insecticide resistance management strategy and evaluate the risk of resistance evolution, a field collected population of the tomato pinworm was selected with flubendiamide in the laboratory. We investigated the genetics of flubendiamide resistance and concentration-mortality response to other insecticides by selecting a field strain of tomato pinworm with commercial flubendiamide formulation. Tuta absoluta was reciprocally crossed with resistant strain (Fluben-R) and was selected up to 13 generations, while F[sub.1] progeny was back-crossed with resistant parent (Fluben-R). The results of LC[sub.50] and Resistance Ratio (RR) demonstrated a higher resistance developed in field and laboratory-selected strains (G[sub.2] and G[sub.13] , respectively). Field-collected and laboratory-selected (Fluben-R) strains demonstrated higher intensity of concentration-mortality response against chlorantraniliprole, thiamethoxam, permethrin, abamectin and tebufenozide compared to susceptible ones. Based on the overlapping of 95% FL, it demonstrated significant differences, revealing that it was not sex linked (autosomal) with no maternal effects. The backcross analysis of the F[sub.1] × resistant parent resulting in significant differences at all concentrations suggests that resistance is controlled by more than one factor; the null hypothesis was rejected and inheritance was under polygenic control. Resistance progression from 38 to 550 folds demonstrated that T. absoluta can develop a higher level of resistance to flubendiamide. Concentration-mortality response experiments demonstrated that the LC[sub.50] of some tested insecticides was higher for field-collected and laboratory-selected strains, suggesting that resistance mechanisms should be studied at a molecular level for better understanding. These results could be helpful to design resistance management strategies against the tomato pinworm.