Evaluation of Imidacloprid and Cyantraniliprole for Suitability in Conservation Biological Control Program for Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) in Field Pepper

A biologically based integrated pest managefor pepper by Funderburk et al. (2000) and Reitz et ment program is fundamental in preventing al. (2003). Experimental design was a randomized the development of insecticide resistance, recomplete block, with 4 replications. Plot size was 1 surgence of populations of western flower thrips, raised, plastic mulched bed 9 m long on which there Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanopwere 2 linear rows of pepper with a 13.8-cm plant tera: Thripidae), and replacement with nontarget spacing between and within rows for a total of 48 pest damage (Demirozer et al. 2012). The conservaplants per plot. Beds were irrigated with a single tion biological control component of the integrated trickle tube with emitters spaced every 30 cm at a pest management program is the most effective rate of 20,000 Ivha/day. Dates and rates of insecti way to manage thrips in pepper (Capsicum spp.; cide applications and of insect sampling are includ Solanales: Solanaceae) (Reitz et al. 2003). Species ed in Table 1. Foliar insecticides were applied with a of Anthocoridae are the most important worldwide C02-powered backpack sprayer equipped with 4 D7 predators of thrips. Within this family are minute nozzles with the amount of spray 430 L/ha. Drench pirate bugs with 2 species in Florida, Orius insidiotreatments were applied in a water solution of 200 sus (Say) and O. pumilio (Champion) (Hemiptera: mL/plant. Trickle tube treatments were applied in Anthocoridae). The minute pirate bugs are a valua water solution of 5.7 L/plot with a C02-powered able tool for controlling thrips as they prey preferinjector pressurized to 103 kPa, followed by 8 L of entially on the adults of the western flower thrips clean water rinse. Inline connectors with shut-off over the adults of the non-damaging native thrips valves were used to isolate the plots. Ten flowers species, F. tritici (Fitch) and F. bispinosa (Morgan) per plot (whenever possible) were collected on each (Baez et al. 2004). The damaging thrips larvae also of 6 sample dates and preserved in 70% alcohol with are preferred prey (Baez et al. 2004). About 1 minthe number of thrips and O. insidiosus determined ute pirate bug for every 180 thrips is sufficient for using 7 to 100 X magnification. The data for each suppression of the populations of thrips, and at a sample was converted to number per flower, pooled ratio of about 1 predator to 40 thrips, thrips populaover date, and transformed to log (x + 0.5) for anal tions are controlled (Funderburk et al. 2000). Natuysis of variance. When the overall treatment effect ral populations of minute pirate bug adults rapidly was significant at the P = 0.05 level, orthogonal invade pepper fields in sufficient numbers to control comparisons were used to separate treatment dif western flower thrips adults and larvae, but they ferences. Untransformed means per 10 flowers are must be conserved with judicious insecticide use reported in Table 1. (Funderburk et al. 2000, Demirozer et al. 2012). The adults of F. occidentalis and F. tritici ac An integrated pest management program for counted for 6 and 19% of the total thrips in the rm peppers that encompasses the simultaneous mantreated controls and there were no significant treat agement of multiple pests is being developed and ment differences (data not shown). The numbers of implemented (Demirozer et al. 2012). Ta further thrips were well below the economic thresholds es enhance the effectiveness of the conservation biotablished by Demirozer et al. (2012), with the ratio logical control component of this program, updated of predators in relation to prey sufficient in the cm information on insecticides labeled for fruiting vegtreated plots to result in thrips suppression. There etables against thrips or other pests that have little were treatment differences in the number of F. impact on populations of minute pirate bugs was bispinosa females, thrips larvae, and O. insidiosus reported (Funderburk et al. 2011). In the present nymphs (Table 1). When compared to the untreat report, imidacloprid 4.6SC (Bayer Crop Protection, ed control, 2 applications of cyantraniliprole 20SC Research Triangle Park, North Carolina) and cyanin the trickle tube did not reduce the numbers of traniliprole 10SE and 20SC (DuPont Crop Protecthrips or O. insidiosus in the flowers. However, the tion, Newark, Delaware) were evaluated against 2 applications of cyantraniliprole 20SC combined populations of thrips and minute pirate bugs, with a transplant treatment of imidacloprid 4.6SC Spinetoram SC (Dow AgroSciences, Indianapolis, resulted in 94, 82, and 88% reductions in numbers Indiana) was included as a standard foliar treatof F. bispinosa adults, thrips larvae, and O. insid ment. iosus nymphs, respectively. Unless there are unex Experimental procedures to evaluate the treatpected synergistic effects, this result showed that ment effects on adult and immature O. insidiosus the residual effect of a transplant application of and flower thrips were similar to those established imidacloprid lasted through pepper flowering and