Oviposition deterrency and deterrent stability of some oily substances against the pear psyllaCacopsylla pyri

Abstract

Oviposition deterrents have the potential to prevent insect infestations in agroecosystems. In the present study, the level and duration of this behavioral effect was evaluated against pear psylla,Cacopsylla pyri (L.) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), a serious pest of pears in Turkey. The activity of four oily substances — cotton seed oil, fish-liver oil, neem oil and summer oil — was tested against winterform and summerform females of the pest in laboratory and field experiments, in order to determine their oviposition deterrency and stability as deterrents. In the laboratory assays, the initial (3 days after treatments) deterrency of all test materials was 100%. While decreases in initial deterrency started after 1 week for neem oil and after 2 weeks for cotton seed oil, fish-liver oil and summer oil exhibited 100% deterrent activity against winterforms, but not summerforms during the 3-week test period. The last two also exhibited strong oviposition deterrent activity for both forms ofC. pyri females in field trials. A significant reduction in the total number of eggs laid was observed in the field plots. Data showed that summer oil and fish-liver oil are the most promising oviposition deterrents against pear psylla females.