Effects of the insecticides methoxyfenozide and abamectin to adultsof the whitefly natural enemies Eretmocerus mundus (Mercet)(Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), Orius laevigatus (Fieber) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae)and Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter (Hemiptera: Miridae) under laboratory conditions

Abstract: Biological control is nowadays the principal method of reducing reliance on pesticidesin greenhouses and seasonal inoculative releases of different natural enemies are commonly usedworldwide to reduce the key pest populations. However, natural enemies and selective pesticidesmust often coexist for the success of IPM programmes. This work describes a laboratory residualtest to evaluate the lethal and sublethal effects (mortality after 72 hour exposure to fresh residuesand changes in beneficial capacity) of methoxyfenozide and abamectin, two modern pesticidesincluded in annex I of the EU Directive 91/414/EEC , to adults of Eretmocerus mundus (Mercet),Orius laevigatus (Fieber) and Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter. These natural enemies are important forthe control of the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), and in addition, the mirid bug N. tenuiscan also feed on the tomato borer Tuta absoluta (Meyrick). The results demonstrated thecompatibility of methoxyfenozide with adults of the three species of natural enemies. In contrast,abamectin caused some direct mortality.