Toxicological Responses of Tobacco Budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas to Selected Insecticides

Abstract

Topical application bioassays of cypermethrin, methomyl, profenofos, and sulprofos were done with the Louisiana State University laboratory strain (LSU-LAB) and field-collected strains of tobacco bud worm, Heliothis virescens (F.), from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. The field-collected strains showed low to high levels of resistance to cypermethrin (2- to 41-fold), low to moderate levels of resistance to profenofos and sulprofos (2- to 8-fold) and low to moderate levels of resistance to methomyl (2- to 8-fold) compared with the LSULAB strain. Spray chamber bioassays indicated reduced efficacy of cypermethrin, endosulfan, profenofos, and thiodicarb against the field-collected strains of H. virescens when their responses were compared with responses of the Stoneville laboratory strain.