Abstract
Indoxacarb (Arilon 20WG) was evaluated against a nuisance pest, the European earwig (Forficula auricularia), and was found to be an effective contact toxicant with residual activity on substrates commonly encountered in urban environments. Within 16 h of being directly sprayed with indoxacarb, ≥90% of earwigs from two populations were either ataxic, moribund, or dead, and 100% displayed these symptoms of severe intoxication at 1 d. Brief exposure (5 min or 1 h) to dried residues on either a porous (pine wood) or non-porous (ceramic tile) substrate also was sufficient to cause severe intoxication of earwigs within 1 d. In all bioassays, indoxacarb-treated earwigs showed no signs of recovery during the 21-d observation period. In outdoor urban habitats, intoxicated earwigs would be more vulnerable to desiccation, predation, or pathogens leading to higher mortality than in a laboratory setting.
Highlights
The European earwig, Forficula auricularia L. (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), was initially reported from North America in the early 1900s, and extensive outbreaks were first noted in Newport, RI, in 1911 and in Seattle, WA, in 1915 [1]
Molecular and behavioral evidence suggests that European populations and North American introductions may consist of two as of yet unrecognized sibling species in the
Both sibling species produce a single clutch of eggs during the winter, but species B produces another additional clutch in the spring after dispersal of the first nymphal cohort [3]
Summary
The European earwig, Forficula auricularia L. (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), was initially reported from North America in the early 1900s, and extensive outbreaks were first noted in Newport, RI, in 1911 and in Seattle, WA, in 1915 [1]. Other studies pertaining to chemical control of the European earwig have focused on either agricultural ecosystems or the non-target effects of agricultural insecticides. In a soil contact toxicity study, second instar earwigs exposed to cypermethrin and deltamethrin had low mortality when exposed to field application rates, suggesting that these rates were too low to provide control or their high adsorption coefficients reduce their bioavailability. A study of pesticide residues on apple leaves confirmed that indoxacarb was an effective pesticide against the European earwig [17]. Because earwigs are not among the listed nuisance pests, the current laboratory study was conducted to evaluate indoxacarb as a contact and residual insecticide against the European earwig. Insects were briefly exposed to dried residues of indoxacarb on wood and glazed tile surfaces, both of which are representative substrates encountered in urban environments
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