Susceptibility of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Adult Populations to Imidacloprid in Georgia, USA1

Abstract

Imidacloprid has been one of the most widely used insecticides for managing the sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in the United States since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency first registered it in 1994. A major whitefly control failure occurred in the state of Georgia in 2017 when B. tabaci–induced economic losses in horticultural and field crops surpassed approximately US$160 million. Vegetable growers have historically used imidacloprid for whitefly management, which likely led to the insecticide control failures of whiteflies in spring vegetables. Despite this, only a single site documentation of imidacloprid resistance in adults from 2007 in Georgia exists, making the current status unknown. Thus, it is likely that Georgia has an ongoing risk of imidacloprid-resistant B. tabaci infestations. No multicounty, extensive survey for imidacloprid dose response in whitefly exists for the state of Georgia. Therefore, an adult mortality bioassay of a range of imidacloprid concentrations was used to evaluate B. tabaci populations from several counties in South Georgia, where most of these economic losses occurred. This included a maximum dose concentration representing the current highest labeled rate. Dose response to the insecticide was not uniform across locations, with whiteflies in several areas displaying unexpected susceptibility to imidacloprid. Median lethal concentrations (LC50s) ranging from 0.02 to 196.05 mg of active ingredient per liter in Georgia whitefly populations were substantially lower than the reference Florida whitefly population. This baseline information for the state is critical to future evaluations of this insecticide in resistance management programs.