Impact of Flavonoids against Woolly Apple Aphid, Eriosoma lanigerum (Hausmann) and Its Sole Parasitoid, Aphelinus mali (Hald.)

Abstract

Cut-shoot bioassay test was used to study the significance of three flavonoids as aphicides against the woolly apple aphid (WAA), Eriosoma lanigerum (Hausmann). The used flavonoids were two flavanols that are quercetin dehydrate and rutin hydrate, but rutin hydrate is a glycoside of quercetin dehydrate. In addition to one flavanone that was naringine. These flavonoids were used at three concentrations; 100 ppm, 1000 ppm and 10,000 ppm. Results showed that the three tested flavonoids were active as aphicides against the target species and that mortality to nymphs was higher than that obtained against apterous adults. Increasing the concentration of the flavonoids resulted in a remarkable increase in nymphs mortality. However, rutin hydrate is more toxic to WAA than quercetin dehydrate and naringin. The three flavonoids had slight effect on the sole parasitoid of WAA, Aphelinus mali compared with effect caused by imodacloprid insecticide. Quercetin dehydrate, rutin hydrate and naringine can be used as botanical insecticides and incorporated into integrated management programs of the aphid.