Evaluation of Insecticides Against the Western Flower Thrips,Frankliniella occidentals(Thysanoptera: Thripidae), in the Laboratory

Abstract

To evaluate insecticide efficacy against the western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), the first step was to select a host suitable for rearing sufficient numbers of this pest. The influence on the development and survival rates of this thrips of each of 3 selected leguminous hosts, Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC, Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet and Phaseolus vulgaris L., was examined and compared to the other in the laboratory. Results showed that the number of newly hatched larvae (543.20), the survival rates of 2nd to 4th instar (89.12%), and the eclosion (73.17%) on C. gladiata were significantly higher than on L. purpureus and P. vulgaris, and also the developmental time from egg to adult was the shortest on C. gladiata (10.15 d). Therefore, C. gladiata was selected as the best host among these legumes for rearing the thrips in the laboratory. Thirty-six insecticides commonly used in China to protect flowers and vegetables were chosen from 8 chemical classes for assay using a glass-vial method to evaluate their toxicities against thrips larvae in a laboratory. Based on LC50 values, and on the need to rotate and alternate the application of insecticides, 12 highly efficacious insecticides from different IRAC mode of action groups were evaluated against adult females. Although the ranking of toxicities to adults was slightly different from that to larvae, the results showed that the insecticides with high efficacy against larvae were also effective against adults. These findings will facilitate the selection of insecticides for effective control of western flower thrips and for developing insecticide resistance man agement strategies.