Effects of pesticides on the spider mite predators,<i>Scolothrips takahashii</i>(Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and<i>Stethorus japonicus</i>(Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

Abstract

Abstract The toxicity of 15 pesticides to spider mite predators was examined with second-stadium larvae of the predatory thrips, Scolothrips takahashii Priesner, and the acarophagous lady beetle, Stethorus japonicus Kamiya. Acephate, acetamiprid, halfenprox, imidacloprid, lufenuron and spinosad were toxic to both insect predators. In contrast, the two predators were tolerant to bifenazate, buprofezin, fluacrypyrim and pymetrozine; the LC50 was more than triple the recommended field concentration for each of these chemicals. Similarly, the predatory thrips were tolerant to acequinocyl and pyrimidifen, and the acarophagous lady beetles were tolerant to chlorfenapyr and etoxazole.