Susceptibility of Bonagota salubricola (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) to Insecticides in Brazilian Apple Orchards: Implications for Resistance Management.

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The Bonagota salubricola (Meyrick) is a major pest in apple orchards in Brazil, and chemical control has been the primary tool for insect management. To support the development of an insect resistance management (IRM) program, baseline studies of the susceptibility of a reference (laboratory) B. salubricola population were conducted; seven wild B. salubricola populations were monitored for susceptibility to insecticide; and the toxicity of some new chemicals to third-instar larvae and adults was evaluated by a leaf dip and ingestion bioassay, respectively. Neonates from the susceptible (laboratory) population exposed to insecticide showed an LC50 ranging from 0.34 (spinetoram) to 30.19 (novaluron) µg of a.i. ml(-1) (88.8-fold variation), so the diagnostic concentrations for an IRM program in Brazil based on the LC99 were as follows: 19.0 µg of a.i./ml chlorantraniliprole, 510.0 novaluron, 72.0 phosmet, 4.1 spinetoram, 12.8 spinosad, and 110.0 tebufenozide. Based on the LC99, significant differences were not observed in the susceptibility of the field and laboratory populations to chlorantraniliprole, phosmet, spinetoram, spinosad, and tebufenozide insecticides, but there were significant differences in the survival rates of the two populations to novaluron insecticide (3.3%). All insecticides at the diagnostic concentrations showed high toxicity to third-instar larvae (mortality rates between 73 to 97%). Phosmet, spinetoram, and spinosad insecticides were toxic to B. salubricola adults (mortality >85%), while chlorantraniliprole, novaluron, and tebufenozide insecticides caused mortality below 5%. The evaluated insecticides showed high toxicity to different developmental stages of B. salubricola, so the diagnostic concentrations may be used in IRM programs in Brazil.