Ecotoxicology (2012) 21, 96-103

Ancidériton A. Castro, Mabio C. Lacerda, Teresinha V. Zanuncio, Francisco de S. Ramalho, Ricardo A. Polanczyk, José E. Serrão and José C. Zanuncio (2012)
Effect of the insect growth regulator diflubenzuron on the predator Podisus nigrispinus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae)
Ecotoxicology 21 (1), 96-103
Abstract: Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) is a common natural predator of defoliating caterpillars in agricultural and forest systems. Insecticides acting as growth regulators of insect pests can indirectly affect their predators through consumption of contaminated prey. We examined the reproductive performance of P. nigrispinus fed on caterpillars of Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) reared on soybean leaves exposed to the chitin synthesis inhibitor, diflubenzuron. Caterpillars of A. gemmatalis were fed for 12 h with treated soybean leaves and offered to adults of the predator P. nigrispinus over five consecutive days. The fertility of P. nigrispinus was reduced when feeding on diflubenzuron treated caterpillars, especially at the beginning of the reproductive period, but recovered 3 weeks later. The effects of diflubenzuron ingestion on the life table parameters of P. nigrispinus included an increase in the period taken to double the population size, and reductions in the intrinsic rate of population increase, generation duration, and net reproductive rate. Diflubenzuron therefore had an indirect negative effect on the reproduction and the population dynamics of the non-target predator P. nigrispinus. Clearly, its use in integrated pest management requires further evaluation.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): José Cola Zanuncio, José Eduardo Serrao, Ricardo Antonio Polanczyk, Francisco de Sousa Ramalho

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
resistance to pesticides

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Anticarsia gemmatalis	Soybean (Glycine max)
Podisus nigrispinus (predator)	Anticarsia gemmatalis	Soybean (Glycine max)