Thiacloprid + Deltamethrin on the Life-Table Parameters of the Cotton Aphid, Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and the Parasitoid, Aphidius flaviventris (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae)

Abstract

A combination of pesticides and biological control agents is frequently necessary to achieve successful pest management requiring the assessment of their compatibility for the intended purpose. Aphidius flaviventris Kurdjumov is one of the parasitoids of the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii Glover, whose susceptibility to pesticides was not yet investigated. Accordingly, we investigated the lethal and sublethal effects of the commonly utilized insecticide mixture thiacloprid + deltamethrin on the cotton aphid and its parasitoid wasp Aphidius flaviventris. The estimated LC50 for the aphid was 14.1 mg ai/l; the effects of sublethal exposure at LC10 (2.80 mg ai/l) and LC30 (7.28 mg ai/l) on the aphid life-table parameters led to significantly increase on the development time of third- and fourth-instar nymphs and preadult. Sublethal exposure to the insecticide mixture compromised aphid longevity, fecundity, and life-table parameters (r, R0, and T). Moreover, population growth and parasitism rate of the parasitoid were significantly compromised at both concentrations of the insecticide mixture under sublethal exposure. These results not only indicate the efficacy of thiacloprid + deltamethrin against the cotton aphid, but also raise concerns regarding its negative impacts on the parasitoid Aphidius flaviventris and caution against its use in pest management programs.