Abstract

RIQUELME VIRGALA, María B.; BOTTO, Eduardo N.  and  LAFALCE, César. Efficacy of insecticides against the «tomato moth», Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and their residual effects on the parasitoid Trichogrammatoidea bactrae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argent. [online]. 2006, vol.65, n.3-4, pp.57-65. ISSN 0373-5680.

The «tomato moth», Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) is one of the key pests of tomato crops in Argentina. The compatible use of chemical and biological control is the main purpose of integrated pest management. Selective pesticides that can be successfully used to control pest without adverse side effects on natural enemies are highly required. The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of control of T. absoluta and the residual effect on the oophagous parasitoid, Trichogrammatoidea bactrae Nagaraja of the following insecticides: triflumuron, abamectin, chlorfenapyr, and an experimental strain of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Mortality of T. absoluta was evaluated every 4 days from pesticide spraying until adult emergency. The effect of pesticides on the performance of the parasitoid was evaluated at 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30 days after pesticide spraying. All insecticides tested caused >65% mortality of tomato moth 12 days after application. Only Bt had no harmful effects on performance of T. bactrae . The results obtained are useful to pesticide selection in integrated pest management programs.

Keywords : Integrated pest management; Natural enemy; Chemical control; Tuta absoluta.

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