Lethality of reduced-risk insecticides against plum curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in blueberries, with emphasis on their curative activity.
BACKGROUND
Historically, management of plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst), in highbush blueberries has focused on post-bloom broad-spectrum insecticide applications targeting the adults. Here, the efficacy of different classes of insecticides against various stages of C. nenuphar was compared, and a prebloom treatment with the chitin synthesis inhibitor novaluron in combination with a post-bloom insecticide application was tested.


RESULTS
Novaluron decreased the number of oviposition scars and eggs on fruit and reduced larval emergence by >60% when applied prebloom. Post-bloom applications of the oxadiazine indoxacarb and the organophosphate phosmet, but not the neonicotinoid acetamiprid, showed significant adulticidal activity. The neonicotinoids acetamiprid and thiamethoxam and phosmet showed significant curative activity on C. nenuphar larvae when applied topically to infested fruit, whereas the pyrethroid fenpropathrin, indoxacarb and novaluron were weaker curative agents. Residue profiles showed that acetamiprid and phosmet residues had the highest levels while fenpropathrin and novaluron had the lowest levels of fruit penetration.


CONCLUSIONS
In blueberries, novaluron showed anti-ovipositional/ovicidal activity, indoxacarb and phosmet showed adulticidal activity, while the neonicotinoids and phosmet showed best curative (larvicidal) control on C. nenuphar. A prebloom novaluron application in combination with a post-bloom treatment with an adulticidal/larvicidal insecticide is recommended for optimal multi-life-stage management of C. nenuphar. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.
['Rodriguez-Saona|Cesar R|CR|', 'Wise|John C|JC|', 'Polk|Dean|D|', 'Leskey|Tracy C|TC|', 'Vandervoort|Christine|C|']
D000818:Animals D029798:Blueberry Plants D001517:Coleoptera D005260:Female D007300:Insect Control D007306:Insecticides D008297:Male D010058:Oviposition D010935:Plant Diseases D027861:Prunus
novaluron organophosphate neonicotinoid adulticidal residue profile ovicidal larvicidal Vaccinium corymbosum