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Action of mephosfolan on anthocorid predators of Phorodon humuli
Author(s) -
AVELING C.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1981.tb03008.x
Subject(s) - biology , aphid , predation , larva , horticulture , botany , biological pest control , dose , ecology , pharmacology
SUMMARY In glasshouse and field studies, soil drenches of the systemic insecticide mephosfolan were applied to hop plants to control the aphid Phorodon humuli , and to study the toxicity to anthocorid predators. The mortality of Anthocoris nemorum and A. nemoralis eggs in the leaf tissues increased with the dosage of mephosfolan while A. confusus eggs, which were laid in the petioles and veins, appeared to be unaffected at the dosages used, up to 2 g a.i./plant. Mortality of A. nemorum eggs, which were laid mainly in the leaf margins, was higher than in A. nemoralis eggs, which were laid mainly in the interveinal areas. For both species mortality was highest for the eggs laid in the leaf margins, and susceptibilities appeared similar. It is suggested that mephosfolan becomes unevenly distributed within the leaves, being most concentrated in the leaf margins and least concentrated in the veins and petioles. No species showed any preference when offered mephosfolan‐treated and untreated leaves for oviposition, and the oviposition rates were unaffected by various mephosfolan dosages. Oviposition rates, larval mortality and duration of larval development were unaffected when specimens of each species were reared from eclosion to maturity on a diet of either mephosfolan‐killed or heat‐killed P. humuli.