Pest Management Science (2004) 60, 381-389

Nicolas Desneux, Minh-Hà Pham-Delègue and Laure Kaiser (2004)
Effects of sub-lethal and lethal doses of lambda-cyhalothrin on oviposition experience and host-searching behaviour of a parasitic wasp, Aphidius ervi
Pest Management Science 60 (4), 381-389
Abstract: In many parasitoid species, the recognition of chemical signals is essential to find specific hosts. This function is often impaired by exposure to insecticides that are usually neurotoxic. The behaviour of the Hymenopterous parasitoid Aphidius ervi (Haliday) (Hymenoptera:Aphidiinae) after surviving low doses of the pyrethroid lambda-cyhalothrin was examined in laboratory conditions. The host aphid was Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Homoptera:Aphididae) on oilseed rape. Parasitoid females were exposed by contact with dry residues of the active ingredient at a lethal dose, LD₂₀, and a sub-lethal dose, LD_0.1. In a four-armed olfactometer, untreated and inexperienced females were attracted by the odour of M persicae-infested plants and previous oviposition experience increased the duration of the attraction response. The response of inexperienced females decreased after an exposure to LD_0.1 but not to LD₂₀. No effect was observed when females had an oviposition experience prior to the olfactometer test. The oviposition activity was significantly decreased in the LD₂₀-treated group but not in the LD_0.1-treated one. All effects disappeared within 24 h. Our work shows that orientation and oviposition behaviours may be impaired by low doses of lambda-cyhalothrin, depending on the dose, the parasitoid experience and the type of behaviour.
(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): Nicolas Desneux

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
health/environmental effects of pesticides
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.
	Myzus persicae	Rape/canola (Brassica napus)
Aphidius ervi (parasitoid)	Myzus persicae	Rape/canola (Brassica napus)