Toxicity and sublethal effects of seven insecticides to eggs of the flower bug Orius insidiosus (Say) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae)

Abstract

The predatory bug Orius insidiosus is an important biological control agent of several insect pests, and is one of the most commonly used species in biological control programs worldwide. This study assessed the lethal and sublethal effects of insecticides on this species through life table, and classified the insecticides according to the definitions of toxicity given by the International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control of Noxious Animals and Plants (IOBC). A bioassay was carried out using a completely randomized design with eight treatments and 40 replicates. Eggs of O. insidiosus laid naturally in plant stems were immersed in aqueous solutions of the chemical products. Egg viability, duration of the embryonic period, survival of nymphs, and duration of the nymphal period were assessed daily. Insects that reached adulthood were paired and their reproduction assessed. The number of eggs produced and the survival of adults were assessed daily. The insecticides abamectin, cartap hydrochloride, spirotetramat + imidacloprid, and flubendiamid were classified as harmful. Pyriproxyfen and rynaxypyr were categorized as harmless and pymetrozine was classified as slightly harmful. Pyriproxyfen affected the population parameters rm, GT, DT, and λ, whereas other insecticides did not.