Abstract
Effects of pesticide, including 18 insecticides, 3 fungicides and one herbicide, sprayed frequently by chrysanthemum growers on populations of Neoseiulus womersleyi collected from wild vegetations surrounding chrysanthemum fields in Nara Prefecture were investigated in the laboratory to aim at using N. womersleyi as a biological control agent.
Acephate, prothiofos, fipronil and tolfenpyrad were fatally toxic to adult females of N. womersleyi. More than 80% of adult females died after treatment with spinosad, milbemectin, emamectin and imidacloprid. However, more than 90% of adult females survived after treatment with pyridalyl, glyphosate-potassium, bifenazate and lufenuron.
Prothiofos was also fatally toxic to eggs of N. womersleyi. More than 85% of eggs died during the immature stages after treatments with tolfenpyrad, fipronil, spinosad and acephate. Pyridalyl, lufenuron and glyphosate-potassium were much less toxic to eggs of N. womersleyi. However, 51.1% of eggs died after the treatment with bifenazate which was harmless to adult females.
