Application Of Imidacloprid Research Articles

Impact of Multiple Insect-Pest Incidence on Yield in Basmati Rice

The experiments for determining the multiple insect-pest incidence on yield loss in basmati rice was conducted for two crop seasons. Five treatments were, viz. application of imidacloprid in vegetative stage; application of granular insecticide in vegetative stage; application of higher dose of Urea; augmentive releases of yellow stem borer egg mass at vegetative and booting stage; untreated control. During both the years, the correlation between grain yield and dead heart, leaf folder damage and planthopper population at 50 and 65 DAT and white ear at maturity was negative. The analysis of variance of regression analysis of yield Vs damage levels at different crop growth stages during both the years revealed a significant linear relationship. The yield loss was highly related to incidence of stem borer and leaf folder damage at 50 and 65 DAT during both the years. For integrated pest management, effective monitoring of stem borer and leaf folder from 50 to 65 DAT is required, which appeared as a critical crop growth stage. The farmers should remain cautious during this period to prevent yield loss.

Is Vector Control Sufficient to Limit Pathogen Spread in Vineyards?

Vector control is widely viewed as an integral part of disease management. Yet epidemiological theory suggests that the effectiveness of control programs at limiting pathogen spread depends on a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic aspects of a pathosystem. Moreover, control programs rarely evaluate whether reductions in vector density or activity translate into reduced disease prevalence. In areas of California invaded by the glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis Germar), Pierce's disease management relies heavily on chemical control of this vector, primarily via systemic conventional insecticides (i.e., imidacloprid). But, data are lacking that attribute reduced vector pressure and pathogen spread to sharpshooter control. We surveyed 34 vineyards over successive years to assess the epidemiological value of within-vineyard chemical control. The results showed that imidacloprid reduced vector pressure without clear nontarget effects or secondary pest outbreaks. Effects on disease prevalence were more nuanced. Treatment history over the preceding 5 yr affected disease prevalence, with significantly more diseased vines in untreated compared with regularly or intermittently treated vineyards. Yet, the change in disease prevalence between years was low, with no significant effects of insecticide treatment or vector abundance. Collectively, the results suggest that within-vineyard applications of imidacloprid can reduce pathogen spread, but with benefits that may take multiple seasons to become apparent. The relatively modest effect of vector control on disease prevalence in this system may be attributable in part to the currently low regional sharpshooter population densities stemming from area-wide control, without which the need for within-vineyard vector control would be more pronounced.

Toxicities of Neonicotinoid Insecticides for Systemic Control of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Fruiting Vegetables1

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is an invasive pest of various crops, including fruiting vegetables, throughout the mid-Atlantic U.S.A. Current control strategies for this pest rely almost exclusively on foliar applications of broad-spectrum insecticides, which disrupt IPM programs and cause secondary pest outbreaks. Systemic neonicotinoids applied to the root-zone via soil drench or chemigation may be a more IPM friendly tactic for insect control in vegetables. Laboratory bioassays that utilized a plant uptake method showed that the neonicotinoid insecticides clothianidin, dinotefuran, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam were all toxic to H. halys nymphs, with estimated LC50 values of 0.077, 0.013, 0.068, and 0.018 ppm, respectively. Field efficacy experiments in Virginia showed that two soil applications of each of the aforementioned neonicotinoid insecticides significantly reduced stink bug damage to pepper and tomato. Field experiments conducted on tomatoes in North Carolina in 2012 and 2014 revealed a similar reduction in stink bug damage with a single-drip chemigation application of either dinotefuran or imidacloprid. In those trials, clothianidin was not efficacious and thiamethoxam was only effective in 2012. Our studies demonstrate the potential for soil applications of neonicotinoids to reduce stink bug damage to fruiting vegetables.

Assessment of potential dermal and inhalation exposure of workers to the insecticide imidacloprid using whole-body dosimetry in China

In China, although improvements to the pesticide registration process have been made in last thirty years, no occupational exposure data are required to obtain a commercial license for a pesticide product. Consequently, notably little research has been conducted to establish an exposure assessment procedure in China. The present study monitored the potential dermal operator exposure from knapsack electric sprayer wheat field application of imidacloprid in Liaocheng City, Shandong Province and in Xinxiang City, Henan Province, China, using whole-body dosimetry. The potential inhalation exposure was determined using a personal air pump and XAD-2 sample tubes. The analytical method was developed and validated, including such performance parameters as limits of detection and quantification, linear range, recovery and precision. The total potential dermal and inhalation exposures were 14.20, 16.80, 15.39 and 20.78mL/hr, respectively, for the four operators in Liaocheng and Xinxiang, corresponding to 0.02% to 0.03% of the applied volume of spray solution. In all trials, the lower part (thigh, lower leg) of the body was the most contaminated, accounting for approximately 76% to 88% of the total exposure. The inhalation exposure was less than 1% of the total exposure. Such factors as the application pattern, crop type, spray equipment, operator experience and climatic conditions have been used to explain the exposure distribution over the different parts of the body. As indicated by the calculated Margin of Exposure, the typical wheat treatment scenarios when a backpack sprayer was used are considered to be safe in terms of imidacloprid exposure.

Biochemical and microbial soil functioning after application of the insecticide imidacloprid

Imidacloprid is one of the most commonly used insecticides in agricultural practice, and its application poses a potential risk for soil microorganisms. The objective of this study was to assess whether changes in the structure of the soil microbial community after imidacloprid application at the field rate (FR, 1mg/kg soil) and 10 times the FR (10× FR, 10mg/kg soil) may also have an impact on biochemical and microbial soil functioning. The obtained data showed a negative effect by imidacloprid applied at the FR dosage for substrate-induced respiration (SIR), the number of total bacteria, dehydrogenase (DHA), both phosphatases (PHOS-H and PHOS-OH), and urease (URE) at the beginning of the experiment. In 10× FR treated soil, decreased activity of SIR, DHA, PHOS-OH and PHOS-H was observed over the experimental period. Nitrifying and N2-fixing bacteria were the most sensitive to imidacloprid. The concentration of NO3− decreased in both imidacloprid-treated soils, whereas the concentration of NH4+ in soil with 10× FR was higher than in the control. Analysis of the bacterial growth strategy revealed that imidacloprid affected the r- or K-type bacterial classes as indicated also by the decreased eco-physiological (EP) index. Imidacloprid affected the physiological state of culturable bacteria and caused a reduction in the rate of colony formation as well as a prolonged time for growth. Principal component analysis showed that imidacloprid application significantly shifted the measured parameters, and the application of imidacloprid may pose a potential risk to the biochemical and microbial activity of soils.

Acute and sublethal effects of neonicotinoids and pymetrozine on an important egg parasitoid, Trichogramma ostriniae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

Both neonicotinoids and pymetrozine are important insecticides and may have the potential to be used in combination with natural enemies in integrated pest management (IPM). However, to determine their compatibility with biological control, it is necessary to examine the side effects of these chemicals on natural enemies. We examined the acute and sublethal effects of four commonly used neonicotinoid insecticides, imidacloprid, dinotefuran, nitenpyram and thiamethoxam, and the pyridine azomethine, pymetrozine, on adults of Trichogramma ostriniae. By analysing acute toxicity and evaluating the safety quotient of these chemicals, we found that thiamethoxam and dinotefuran pose extremely high risks to T. ostriniae, imidacloprid and nitenpyram posed high risks, but pymetrozine was found to have a low risk. In terms of sublethal effects, longevities of female wasps were significantly shortened when they were exposed to residues of dinotefuran. Percentages of ovipositing females decreased significantly after exposure to pymetrozine, thiamethoxam and dinotefuran. Numbers of offspring per female were significantly lower when females were exposed to pymetrozine, dinotefuran or thiamethoxam, compared with control females. Percentages of offspring that emerged as adults were lower when parental females were exposed to either pymetrozine or imidacloprid. Based on the results of the sublethal concentration assay and the acute toxicity bioassay, nitenpyram would be safe for IPM programmes utilising T. ostriniae, and we suggest that T. ostriniae could be released safely after foliar applications of nitenpyram. However, foliar application of imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, dinotefuran or pymetrozine in an agro-ecosystem where T. ostriniae is a predominant biocontrol agent should be carefully evaluated.

Impact of imidacloprid on life-cycle development of Coccinella septempunctata in laboratory microcosms

Long-term effects of a single application of imidacloprid on ladybird beetle, Coccinella septempunctata L., were studied in indoor laboratory microcosms, starting with the 2nd instar larvae of C. septempunctata but covering the full life cycle. The microcosms comprised enclosures containing a pot with soil planted with broad bean plants and black bean aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch, as food. Exposure doses (0.85–13.66g a.i. ha−1) in the long-term microcosm experiment were based on a preliminary short-term (72h) toxicity test with 2nd instar larvae. The measurement endpoints used to calculate NOERs (No Observed Effect application Rates) included development time, hatching, pupation, adult emergence, survival and number of eggs produced. Furthermore, for these endpoints ER50 (application rate causing 50 percent effect) and LR50 (application rate causing 50 percent mortality) values were calculated when possible. The single imidacloprid application affected survival (lowest LR50 4.07g a.i. ha−1; NOER 3.42g a.i. ha−1), egg production (ER50 26.63g a.i. ha−1) and egg hatching (NOER 6.83g a.i. ha−1). Statistically significant treatment-related effects on the whole development duration, pupation and adult emergence could not be demonstrated (NOER≥13.66g a.i. ha−1). The lowest L(E)R50 values and NOERs derived from the laboratory microcosm test with C. septempunctata are lower than the reported field application rates of imidacloprid (15–60g a.i. ha−1) in cotton cultivation in China, suggesting potential risks to beneficial arthropods.

Propensity for Flying and Walking by the Colorado Potato Beetles Treated with Imidacloprid

The Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say) is a very serious pest of potatoes which is highly mobile and capable of rapid evolution of resistance to chemical control. Insect movement, resulting in gene flow between resistant and susceptible populations, is considered to be an important factor affecting the development and spread of insecticide resistance. We investigated the movement of adult Colorado potato beetles by flight and by walking following the treatment with a sublethal dose of imidacloprid in the laboratory. Imidacloprid had a pronounced negative effect on beetle mobility. The proportion of beetles flying and walking, as well as the number and duration of performed flights, were significantly decreased for the treated beetles. Since local selection followed by long-distance dispersal have been reported to lead to serious area-wide problems with the insecticide-resistant Colorado potato beetle, long-term suppression of flight activity recorded in our study suggests that imidacloprid applications may reduce outflow of resistant alleles.

Metabolic degradation of imidacloprid in paddy field soil.

The metabolic degradation and persistence of imidacloprid in paddy field soil were investigated following two applications of imidacloprid at 20 and 80 g a.i. ha(-1) at an interval of 10 days. The soil samples were collected at various time intervals. The limit of quantification for the analysis of imidacloprid and its metabolites was obtained at the concentration of 0.01 mg kg(-1). The initial deposits of total imidacloprid were found to be 0.44 and 1.61 mg kg(-1) following second applications. These residues could not be detected after 60 and 90 days following second applications of imidacloprid at lower and higher dosages, respectively. In soil, urea metabolite was found to be the maximum, followed by olefine, nitrosimine, 6-chloronicotinic acid, 5-hydroxy and nitroguanidine. The half-life values (t₁/₂) of imidacloprid were worked out to be 12.04 and 11.14 days, respectively, when applied at lower and higher doses, respectively.

Confirmation of insecticide resistance in Cimex lectularius Linnaeus (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) in Australia

AbstractInsecticide resistance in the common bed bug, Cimex lectularius Linnaeus has been suspected in Australia with anecdotal reports of poor product performance. To investigate this possibility, LD50 values were determined via topical application of technical grade permethrin, deltamethrin, bendiocarb, pirimiphos‐methyl and imidacloprid serially diluted in acetone to a suspected resistant field‐collected strain and a susceptible laboratory strain. All compounds tested against the susceptible strain were efficacious. However, for the field strain, only pirimiphos‐methyl and imidacloprid showed high levels of activity. Resistance was confirmed in the field‐collected strain to the pyrethroids and bendiocarb, but not to pirimiphos‐methyl or imidacloprid. Resistance factors (‘resistant’ LD50/susceptible LD50) for each compound were: permethrin ≈ 1.235 million, deltamethrin ≈ 370 000, bendiocarb ≈ 250, pirimiphos‐methyl = 2.6, imidacloprid = 2.6. Bendiocarb, permethrin and deltamethrin all failed to return greater than 60% mortality at the maximum dose of 100 μg/μL. This research has significant operational implications for bed bug control and the registration process of new products in Australia.

Persistence and Metabolism of Imidacloprid in Rice

Imidacloprid is a systemic insecticide which gives effective control of plant and leaf hoppers in rice. The persistence and metabolism of imidacloprid in paddy leaves, rice grains, bran, straw and husk were studied following two applications of imidacloprid (Confidor 17.8 SL) @ 20 and 80g a.i. ha(-1) at an interval of 10days. Samples of paddy leaves were collected at various time intervals. The samples of rice grains, bran, straw and husk were collected at the time of harvest. The limit of quantification of imidacloprid and its metabolites was worked out to be 0.01mgkg(-1). The maximum residues of imidacloprid and its metabolites in paddy leaves after 0day (1h after last spray) of its application @ 20 and 80g a.i. ha(-1) were found to be 4.57 and 13.94mgkg(-1), respectively. These residues could not be detected after 60 and 90days following last application of imidacloprid at lower and higher dosages, respectively. In rice, olefin metabolite was found to be the main constituent, followed by nitroguanidine, urea, 5-hydroxy, chloronicotinic acid and nitrosimine. The samples of rice grains, bran, straw and husk did not reveal the presence of imidacloprid or its metabolites following its application at both the dosages at harvest.

Persistence behaviour of imidacloprid and its metabolites in soil under sugarcane

The persistence and metabolism of imidacloprid in soil under sugarcane were studied following application of imidacloprid at 20 and 80 g active ingredient (a.i.) ha(-1). Soil samples were collected at different time intervals (7, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 days after application), and the residues of imidacloprid and its metabolites (6-chloronicotinic acid, nitrosimine, imidacloprid-NTG, olefin, urea and 5-hydroxy) were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. In soil, the total imidacloprid residues were mainly constituted by the parent compound followed by 6-chloronicotinic acid, nitrosimine and imidacloprid-NTG metabolites. Maximum residues of imidacloprid and its metabolites were 4.29 and 7.81 mg kg(-1) in soil samples collected 7 days after the application of imidacloprid at 20 and 80 g a.i. ha(-1), respectively. At both doses, these residues declined to below the detectable limit in soil after 90 days of application. Olefin, urea and 5-hydroxy metabolites were not detected in soil. Dissipation of total imidacloprid residues did not follow the first-order kinetics with a coefficient of determination value of 0.883 and 0.838 for the recommended dose and four times the recommended dose, respectively. The half-life (T(1/2)) value of total imidacloprid was observed to be 10.64 and 10.10 days for the recommended dose and four times the recommended dose, respectively.

Population dynamics and control techniques of aphids on honeysuckle

The objective of this study is to define the population dynamics of Semiaphis heraclei in the main-producing district of Lonicera japonica in Shandong, and screen for highly efficient, safety control technique. Through fixed field investigation, we tested the toxicity of eight kinds of insecticides by using dipping methods, and carried out the field experiment. The results showed that the aphids' emergence peak appeared in May. The aphids on the Sijihua variety of L. japonica was more susceptible and the peak was also seven days earlier than Damao variety of L. japonica. The aphid populations on Sijihua were 1 fold than those on the Daomao in happened peak. Comparing the eight kinds of insecticides, the LC50 of lambda-cyhaothrin, abamectin, imidacloprid and pyrethrin to wingless aphids were 1.494, 1.690, 2.840, 2.861 mg x L(-1), respectively, whose toxicity were higher, the toxicity of matrine, pymetrozine and azadirachtin were also high. The field efficacy trials indicated that during the period of aphids occurred, 25% imidacloprid wettable powder, 1.8% abamectin missible oil, 2.5% lambda-cyhaothrin missible oil, 25% pymetrozine wettable powder, 5% pyrethrin missible oil, 1% matrine water aqua were sprayed at concentrations of 20,000, 2,000, 2,500, 5,000, 500 and 50 times, respectively,the control effect achieved 91.69%, 98.90%, 96.18%, 95.06%, 99.24%, 90.10%, respectively, after 5 days. During the growing period of L. japonica in spring, application of thiamethoxam, thiacloprid, pymetrozine and imidacloprid, all of the control effect against aphids achieved above 98.88% after 50 days. The result indicated that May was the S. heraclei Takahashi's emergence peak in Pingyi, Shandong. The efficient safety and environmentally friendly insecticides by spraying and systemic insecticide of pymetrozine and imidacloprid by root application were all efficient controlled aphids. These insecticides were long for controlling S. heraclei Takahashi and worthy of being widely applied.

Assessment of the Exposure of Workers to the Insecticide Imidacloprid during Application on Various Field Crops by a Hand-Held Power Sprayer

Exposure assessment and risk assessment for imidacloprid were conducted for agricultural workers through mixing/loading and application with a power sprayer in four kinds of crop fields. The spray suspension was prepared with 10% wettable powder (250 g) for 5 min and applied on field crops for 1 h. A patch method and a personal air sampler with XAD-2 resin were used to monitor the dermal and inhalation exposure, respectively. In mixing/loading, the total dermal exposure on the whole body was 0.2 (cucumber) to 2.0 (apple) mg and the most exposed part of body was the hand (48-100% of total exposure). During the application of imidacloprid, whole dermal exposure was in the range of 2.9 (apple) to 9.5 (green pepper) mg. The primary sites exposed to pesticides were legs (51-79% of total exposure) in cucumber, green pepper, and paddy fields, whereas the primary sites were hands (35% of total exposure) in the apple field. The inhalation exposure was determined to be 0.2 (paddy) to 2.8 (cucumber) μg and 0.2 (paddy) to 3.0 (cucumber) μg during mixing/loading and application, respectively. The absorbable quantity of exposure and the margin of safety were determined for risk assessment. Workers were exposed through inhalation as 23-93 and 2-11% of the absorbable quantity of exposure during mixing and application, respectively. The margin of safety of all cases was much higher than 1, indicating the lowest possibility of risk.

Évaluation au laboratoire et sur le terrain de l’imidaclopride sous forme d’appâts pour les rongeurs afin de contrôler les populations de Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli, 1786 (Dipetra: Psychodidae)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the systemic insecticidal activity of an imidacloprid-treated rodent oral bait, against Phlebotomus papatasi Scopoli, 1786 vector of Leishmania major Yakimoff & Schokhor, 1914 (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae), etiologic agent of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL). Shaw's gerbil Meriones shawi Duvernoy, 1842 (Rodentia, Gerbillidae) were treated with imidacloprid-treated bait (0.05%). In the laboratory, effects on adult and larval of Phlebotomus papatasi fed on treated M. shawi and on its faeces were studied. The effectiveness of this approach was tested under field conditions. In the laboratory, 100% of P. papatasi were killed within 24 hours after blood feeding on Meriones shawi treated up to four weeks prior with a single application of imidacloprid (0.05%) bait. In addition, none of the P. papatasi larvae that consumed feces from M. shawi treated with the imidacloprid bait survived to pupation. In the field, application of the imidacloprid bait resulted in a 90% reduction in the P. papatasi population up to four weeks prior with a single application of imidacloprid (0.05%) bait. This is the first study to demonstrate field efficacy of insecticide-treated rodent baits for P. papatasi control and the first study to evaluate this approach in M. shawi, a principal ZCL reservoir host. These results suggest that insecticide-treated rodent baits could be used to effectively reduce the populations of P. papatasi associated with M. shawi in ZCL endemic areas.

Effects of Systemic Pesticides Imidacloprid and Metalaxyl on the Phyllosphere of Pepper Plants

Microbes inhabiting the phyllosphere of crops are exposed to pesticides applied either directly onto plant foliage or indirectly through soil. Although, phyllosphere microbiology has been rapidly evolving, little is still known regarding the impact of pesticides on the epiphytic microbial community and especially on fungi. We determined the impact of two systemic pesticides (metalaxyl and imidacloprid), applied either on foliage or through soil, on the epiphytic fungal and bacterial communities via DGGE and cloning. Both pesticides induced mild effects on the fungal and the bacterial communities. The only exception was the foliage application of imidacloprid which showed a more prominent effect on the fungal community. Cloning showed that the fungal community was dominated by putative plant pathogenic ascomycetes (Erysiphaceae and Cladosporium), while a few basidiomycetes were also present. The former ribotypes were not affected by pesticides application, while selected yeasts (Cryptococcus) were stimulated by the application of imidacloprid suggesting a potential role in its degradation. A less diverse bacterial community was identified in pepper plants. Metalaxyl stimulated an Enterobacteriaceae clone which is an indication of the involvement of members of this family in fungicide degradation. Further studies will focus on the isolation of epiphytic microbes which appear to be stimulated by pesticides application.

Compatibility of Phytoseiulus persimilis and Neoseiulus californicus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) with imidacloprid to manage clementine nursery pests

Biological control is not common in citrus nurseries where chemical control is prevalent. The systemic neonicotinoid imidacloprid applied as a drench is effective against three out of four key pests of young clementine plants in Spain – aphids, whiteflies, and scales. However, mites, the fourth key pest, are not control by imidacloprid and could be regulated by introduction of the predatory Phytoseiid mites Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot and Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of imidacloprid applied as a drench on the demographic parameters of these two predatory mites and the compatibility of P. persimilis releases with imidacloprid to control key pest populations in young clementine plants under field conditions. The results showed that some demographic parameters of P. persimilis were affected by imidacloprid. However, their combined effect on its intrinsic rate of increase was neutral. In contrast, imidacloprid negatively affected the demographic parameters of N. californicus. Field results proved that young clementine plants could be satisfactorily protected against key pests with releases of P. persimilis combined with drench applications of imidacloprid. The combination of imidacloprid with P. persimilis releases was highly effective for management of the key pests of young clementine plants in the nursery.

Effects of Soil-Applied Imidacloprid on Asian Citrus Psyllid (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) Feeding Behavior

The Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Psyllidae), is one of the most important pests of citrus (Citrus spp.) because of its status as a vector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), the bacterium associated with citrus greening disease. The use of insecticides for vector control is the primary method of managing the spread of this pathogen. Imidacloprid is an insecticide commonly applied to the root zone of young citrus trees to provide systemic protection from pests. The effects of imidacloprid on feeding behavior of D. citri have not been studied in much detail. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of imidacloprid application on feeding behavior of D. citri and to determine whether use of this systemic insecticide could have any effect on pathogen transmission by D. citri. A direct current electrical penetration graph monitor was used to record D. citri feeding behaviors for 12-h periods on mature and young leaves of imidacloprid-treated and -untreated citrus seedlings. Overall, compared with untreated plants, the feeding behavior of D. citri was disrupted on imidacloprid-treated plants via reduction in the number of probes, as well as durations of average probes, initial stylet contact with phloem, phloem salivation, and phloem ingestion. The results of this study demonstrate that soil applications of imidacloprid can reduce the probability of citrus plants becoming inoculated with Las through a reduction in the number and duration of phloem salivation events by D. citri. Furthermore, Las acquisition from infected citrus is greatly reduced as a result of decreased phloem ingestion by D. citri on imidacloprid-treated plants.

Hysteretic Behavior of Imidacloprid Sorption-Desorption in Soils of Croatian Coastal Regions

Sorption and desorption are important processes that influence the transport, transformation, and bioavailability of imidacloprid in the soils. Equilibrium batch experiments were carried out using six coastal Croatian soils. The equilibrium sorption and desorption experimental data showed the best fit to the Freundlich equation. Sorption parameters predicted with the Freundlich model, KF sor and 1/n ranged from 2.92 to 5.74 (mg/kg)/(mg/L)1/n, and 0.888 to 0.919, respectively. The sorption of imidacloprid was found to be sensitive to organic carbon (OC) content. The highest sorption was observed in Krk soil (OC 4.74%) and the lowest in Zadar soil (OC 1.06%). Fitted desorption parameter values, KF des , were consistently higher than those associated with sorption. The opposite trend was observed for the exponential parameter 1/n. Results also suggested that imidacloprid sorption-desorption by soil is concentration-dependent, i.e. at lower imidacloprid concentrations a greater sorption percentage and lower desorption percentage occurred. Desorption studies revealed that there was a hysteresis effect in all the tested soils. Hysteresis coefficient values (H) varied from 0.656 to 0.859. The study results emphasize that the controlled application of imidacloprid is obligatory, especially in soils with a low organic carbon content, in order to minimize a risk of environmental and groundwater pollution.

Direct and indirect effects of imidacloprid on fecundity and abundance of Eurytetranychus buxi (Acari: Tetranychidae) on boxwoods

Populations of spider mites often reach high levels on urban plants. In many cases, insecticide applications targeting other herbivores trigger outbreaks of spider mites. Recently, elevated populations of spider mites on a diversity of plants in urban landscapes have been associated with applications of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide. Imidacloprid has also been linked to increased fecundity in two species of spider mites. In this study, we evaluated the indirect (plant-mediated) and direct impact of imidacloprid on fecundity and longevity of Eurytetranychus buxi Garman (Acari: Tetranychidae), feeding on boxwoods, Buxus sempervirens L. Moreover, we compared the abundance of E. buxi on imidacloprid-treated and untreated boxwoods in the landscape and a greenhouse to determine if changes in the fecundity of mites exposed to imidacloprid were linked to outbreaks of E. buxi. We found that females consuming imidacloprid-treated plants laid more eggs than females feeding on untreated boxwoods, while their longevity remained unchanged. Fecundity was not affected, however, when spider mites were directly sprayed with imidacloprid and consumed foliage of untreated boxwoods. Furthermore, populations of E. buxi were greater on boxwoods treated with imidacloprid in the landscape and greenhouse. On landscape boxwoods, elevated populations of E. buxi persisted into a second year. We also observed general lack of predators of spider mites on treated and untreated boxwoods in the field suggesting that imidacloprid's eruptive effect on E. buxi stems more from indirect changes in plant quality than from a loss of top-down regulation from E. buxi's natural enemies.