Acute toxity and sublethal effects of pymetrozine on the whitefly parasitoid Encarsia formosa Gahan

Sublethal effects of a pymetrozine-based product (commercial product Chess 50 WP) on life history traits and population growth of one commercialized strain (?Dutch? strain) and two local populations (Bujanovac and Negotin) of the whitefly parasitoid Encarsia formosa Gahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) were evaluated in laboratory bioassays. All trials were carried out at 27?1?C temperature and under 60?10 % relative humidity and 16/8 h daylight/darkness photoperiod in four replications. Longevity of wasps exposed for 48 h to residues of the pymetrozine insecticide (LC50, 280 mg a.i./l) was shorter (by 2.7-3 days) than that of control wasps. Total parasitism of Negotin wasps was significantly reduced (by 8.2 %), as well as total parasitism and adult emergence of the Dutch strain (by 7.3 and 8.2 %, respectively), compared to control wasps. The instantaneous rate of increase (ri) of surviving adult wasps was also significantly reduced (by 6.6, 6.3 and 7.6 % in populations Negotin, Bujanovac and Dutch strain, respectively). Direct treatment of wasps at their pupal stage (LC50, 300 mg a.i./l) reduced total parasitism of Negotin wasps (by 8 %), and reduced ri levels, but the reduction was significant only for the Bujanovac (by 6.7 %) and Negotin (by 4.6 %) populations. Juvenile development of the parasitoid in treated pupae was significantly extended (by 0.3-1.1 days), compared to control wasps. The implications of these results on integrated control of the greenhouse whitefly are discussed.