Effect of Pesticides on Nontarget Insects in Imperial Valley, California Cotton, 1982

Pesticides applied for pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders)) and the Heliothis complex of zea (Boddie) and virescens (F.) were evaluated for their effects on nontarget, mostly predaceous insect species. Cotton was planted 7 Apr. and divided into plots 130 ft by 8 cotton rows, arranged in a randomized block design, with four replications of each treatment. Materials were applied with a Hi-Cycle 600 Sprayer at a pressure of 55 to 60 lb/in2 and a rate of 20 gal/acre. Five flat-fan nozzles per cotton row were used, with applications occuring 22 and 28 July. Samples were collected with a D-Vac suction sampler, with 25 suctions per plot at each date at one sample, and processed through Berlese funnels for subsequent microscopic examination. Insects recorded were immature thrips (IT) Frankliniella occidentalis (FR), Scirtothrips citri (SC), immature and adult Orius sp. (10 and AO), Nabis sp. (IN and AN), Geocoris sp. (IG and AG), Chrysopa sp. (IC and AC), and Reduviidae (IR and AR).