Systemic nicotinoid toxicity against the predatory mirid pilophorus typicus: Residual side effect and evidence for plant sucking

Abstract

The predatory mirid Pilophorus typicus (Heteroptera: Miridae) is a potential biological control agent against Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), but the sucking for host plant is unknown. To investigate collaboration use of P. typicus and nicotinoid granules and to confirm the sucking for pepper plant, residual harmful toxicity of 4 nicotinoids: acetamiprid; imidacloprid; nitempyram; and thiamethoxam on P typicus adult were investigated at 7, 14 21, 28 and 35 d after treatment of the nicotinoid granules. The systemic toxicity of these nicotinoids was found to be moderately or seriously harmful. The residual toxicity was persistent for 35 d after application at the growing points of the pepper plant. The mortality of P. typicus due to the 4 nicotinoids was significantly higher than that due to the control treatment, which indicated that P. typicus sucked the active ingredient of the nicotinoid granules along the nutrition and/or water from the growing point of pepper plant. For this reason, P. typicus will be one of zoophytophagous mirids.