Toxicity appraisement of methaldehyde, ferricol®, snail repellent tape® and sabzarang® (snail repellent paint) on land snails (Xeropicta derbentina), (Xeropicta krynickii)

Different control methods have been applied to control the land snail (Xeropicta derbentina and Xeropicta krynickii) but the chemical method is realized to be the most effective method to control this pest. The main goal of this work was to determine the efficacy of methaldehyde Ferricol, Snail repellent tape and Snail repellent paint (Sabzrang) on this pest. Methaldehyde, Ferricol were used as bait around citrus trees and Snail repellent tape and Snail repellent paint rolled up around main stem of the citrus trees. The life snails on citrus trees were monitored at 2, 15, 29, 36, 68 and 98 days after treatments. Analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences between treatments and control,and also significant differences were found among treatments (p < 0.01). LSD and Tukay-Test among the above treatments has shown that repellent band and methaldehyde with 5 ± 1.3 and 10.6 ± 0.9 percentage of the alive snail on trees, respectively, were more effective than repellent color and biological toxin with 14.2 ± 2.6 and 31.3 ± 3.9 percentage alive snail on citrus trees and significant differences with control, respectively. The control efficacies of the methaldehyde and Ferricol were91.87 and 82.63%, respectively; also the total control efficacies of the Snail repellent tape and Snail repellent paint were 95.22 and 82.26%, respectively, after 2, 15, 29, 36, 68 and 98 days of post treatment.Therefore the Snail repellent tape and methaldehyde were better than the other treatments for the management of land snail population

Toxicity evaluation of Tracer, Palizin, Sirinol, Runner and Tondexir with and without mineral oils on Phylocnistis citrella Stainton

The bioinsecticides are considered to be the best and effective pesticides. The main aim of this experiment was to determine the efficacy of Tracer (Spinosyn), Insecticidal Gel (Palizin), Insecticidal Emulsion (Sirinol), Runner (Methoxifenozide) and Tondoxir with and without mineral oils (MO) on the control of citrus leaf-miner (CLM),phylocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in laboratory condition at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h post treatments. Leaves of citrus with second and third instars of leaf-miner larvae were used in all tests and the larval mortality were monitored. Analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences between reatments and control, and also significant differences were found among treatments. Tukay-Test among above treatments has shown that Tracer + oil, Runner and Runner + oil and Tondxir + oil with 98 ± 3. 2, 98 ±  phylocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in laboratory condition at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h post treatments. Leaves of citrus with second and third instars of leaf-miner larvae were used in all tests and the larval mortality were monitored. Analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences between reatments and control, and also significant differences were found among treatments. Tukay-Test among above treatments has shown that Tracer + oil, Runner and Runner + oil and Tondxir + oil with 98 ± 3. 2, 98 ± phylocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) in laboratory condition at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h post treatments. Leaves of citrus with second and third instars of leaf-miner larvae were used in all tests and the larval mortality were monitored. Analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences between reatments and control, and also significant differences were found among treatments. Tukay-Test among above treatments has shown that Tracer + oil, Runner and Runner + oil and Tondxir + oil with 98 ± 3. 2, 98 ± 8.1 and 93 ± 5% mortality were more effective than MO, Tondxir and Sirinol + oil with 85 ± 8.3 and 81±7.2 and 78.25 ± 8.2% mortality and significant different with control (P< %1), respectively. Tukay-Test among 96 and 72 h post treatments with 77 ± 3.82 and 70.65 ± 7.5% of total mortality are more effective than 48 and 24 h post treatments with 52.27 ± 4 and 35.90 ± 3.8% of total mortality, respectively

A comparison of the toxicity of the botanical insecticide, Sirinol and two chemical insecticides, Mospilan and Consult, on two natural enemies of the pistachio psyllid, coccinellid predator (Oenopia conglobata)...

Full Title: A comparison of the toxicity of the botanical insecticide, Sirinol and two chemical insecticides, Mospilan and Consult, on two natural enemies of the pistachio psyllid, coccinellid predator (Oenopia conglobata) and parasitic wasp (Psyllaephagus pistaciae)The common pistachio psyllid, Agonoscena pistaciae, is one of the most important pests of pistachio tree. This pest has many natural enemies and some of the important ones are the coccinellid predator (CP) (Oenopia conglobata) and the parasitic wasp (PW) (Psyllaephagus pistaciae). In this research, the effect of three concentrations of Sirinol on the first and fourth instar larvae and the adult of O. conglobata and on the pupae and adult of P. pistaciae was tested and the toxicity of this insecticide was compared with that of two chemical insecticides, Consult and Mospilan. Topical bioassay was carried out in laboratory condition; however, to investigate the resistance stage of the parasitic wasp, a completely randomized experimental design was used in the field condition in 2010 and 2011. The results of these experiments show that the chemical pesticide, Mospilan, caused more mortality of all the stages of the two previously mentioned natural enemies than did Sirinol. The results show that Mospilan had a slightly harmful, moderately harmful, moderately harmful, and slightly harmful effect on the adult of the PW and the adult and the first and fourth instar larvae of the CP, respectively and Consult had a harmless, slightly harmful, slightly harmful, and moderately harmful effect on the named stages of the PW and CP respectively. On the other hand, Sirinol had a slightly harmful effect on the adult of PW, but a harmless effect on the other stages; consequently, it falls into the category of International Organisation for Biological Control (IOBC). The field experiments conducted in 2010 and 2011 showed that 15.79% Mospilan, 13.8% Consult, and 6.49% Sirinol caused the mortality of the larvae and pupae of the PW. This research showed that Sirinol which caused very low mortality of the natural enemies of pistachio psyllid can be used in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program in pistachio orchards.Keywords: Oenopia conglobata, Psyllaephagus pistaciae, insecticide, Sirinol, Consult, Mospila

Evaluating the effect of some botanical insecticides on the citrus mealybug Planococcus citri (Risso) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae)

Planococcus citri (Risso) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae), is one of the key pests of citrus. The use of chemical pesticides for a long time can cause many problems such as pesticide resistance, as well as having an adverse effect on the environment. The use of chemical pesticides needs to be replaced with non-chemical control methods. The effects of tondexir (pepper extract) and palizin (eucalyptus extract) using five doses (500, 1000, 1500, 2000 and 3000 ppm) and sirinol (garlic extract) with five doses (1000, 1500, 2000, 2500 and 3500 ppm) on citrus mealybug was investigated. The effect of barter (a botanical synergist) using a single dose (1000 ppm) being added to tondexir and palizin at three doses (500, 1000 and 1500 ppm) and barter (1000 ppm) added to sirinol at four doses (1000, 1500, 2000 and 2500) on citrus mealybug was examined. Mortality was recorded after 24, 48, 72 and 96 h post-treatments. Analysis of variance showed that the highest mortality with 3000 ppm doses of tondexir and palizin was 90/60 ± 2/93 and 89/16 ± 1/92% with sirinol (3500 ppm) with 87.11 ± 1.11% mortality, respectively. However, the highest mortality by using barter plus tondexir and palizin (1500 ppm) was 94.44 ± 2.59 and 86.66 ± 3.6% and barter plus sirinol (2500 ppm) was 83.33 ± 3.6% mortality, respectively. There were significant differences between the two experiments (p &lt; 1%).Keywords: Palizin, sirinol, tondexir, bartar synergist, Planococcus citr

Can Insects Develop Resistance to Insect Pathogenic Fungi?

This paper presents new, important information on the microevolution of insect resistance to the insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana which will have far-reaching implications for the development of insect pathogenic fungi as biological control agents. We placed successive generations of a melanic population of the Greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, under constant selective pressure from the insect pathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana. Enhanced fungal resistance was observed and larvae from the 25th generation were studied in detail to uncover mechanisms underpinning resistance, and the possible cost of those survival strategies. There are 3 novel, core findings from the study:1.Antifungal resistance in these insects is pathogen species-specific, and probably arises through trans-generational immune priming. The resistance was less obvious in earlier generations, suggesting subtle cumulative changes that are only fully apparent in the 25th generation. 2.The insect’s fecundity is already pushed close to minimum by its melanic phenotype. Therefore, the additional drain on resources required to boost antifungal defence still more, comes not from further compromising life history traits but via a re-allocation of the insect’s immune defences. Specifically during B. bassiana infection, systemic (fat body and hemocoel) responses, particularly the expression of antimicrobial peptides, are damped down in favour of a tailored repertoire of enhanced responses in the integument (cuticle and epidermis) – the foremost and most important barrier to natural fungal infection. 3.A previously-overlooked range of putative stress-management factors are activated during the specific response of selected insects to B. bassiana. This too occurs primarily in the integument, and contributes to antifungal defense and/or helps ameliorate the damage inflicted by the fungus or the host’s own immune responses during the battle between host and pathogen.No other study to date has examined so many genes in this context. Indeed, we show that the epidermis has a great capacity to express defense and stress-management genes as well as the fat body (which is the main tissue producing antimicrobial peptides and has been the traditional focus of attention). We therefore propose a “be specific / fight locally / de-stress” model to explain resource allocation and defence priorities for insects selected for superior resistance to insect-pathogenic fungi. However, we also show that these insects are less fecund and probably at no evolutionary advantage in the wild, implying that the risk is small of biological control agents failing in the field