Status of Pink Bollworm Resistance to Insecticides in Arizona
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Status of Pink Bollworm Resistance to Insecticides in Arizona Item Type text; Article Authors Watson, Theo F.; Kelly, Suzanne E. Publisher College of Agriculture, University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ) Journal Cotton: A College of Agriculture Report Download date 30/09/2021 21:22:12 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/208371 Status of Pink Bollworm Resistance To Insecticidesin Arizona Theo F. Watson and Suzanne E. Kelly Abstract Populations of pink bollworm. Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), from Yuma, Casa Grande, Marana and Safford were compared with that of a susceptible laboratory (USDA) strain relative to their susceptibility to permethrin. A limited comparison was made with azinphosmethyl. All field strains were significantly more tolerant to permethrin than was the USDA susceptible strain. A comparison of the USDA and Yuma strains using azinphosmethyl indicated no difference in susceptibility between the laboratory and field strains. Introduction The pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), has been a pest of cotton in Arizona since 1926, but only causing serious economic losses from 1965, after completing its spread across Arizona and southern California (Watson and Fullerton 1969). Since 1966 insecticides have been routinely used to effectively control this pest and prevent serious yield losses. In 1977, the synthetic pvrethroids were introduced into the cotton pest control scheme to control outbreaks of Heliothi.s spp., primarily tobacco budworm, H. virescerts (F.), which was resistant to the other classes of insecticides. The pyrethroids were also very effective against the pink bollworm and were therefore used extensively for control of this pest as well. In the mid- 1980's reports began to appear showing resistance in the pink bollworm to this class of insecticides (Bariola 1985, Haynes et al. 1986). Osman et al. (1991) conducted a study in 1986 which showed that variability in response to permethrin existed among field strains but that at least two populations (Yuma and Phoenix) exhibited levels of resistance comparable to that found in the Westmoreland, CA strain, the original site where resistance was observed. Response of all field populations to azinphosmethyl was similar and little different from the susceptible laboratory strain. As a result of extremely high populations of pink bollworm in many areas of Arizona in 1990, and difficulty in controlling them in certain areas, a re- assessment of pyrethroid efficacy was undertaken. Infested bolls were collected in late Fall from Parker, Yuma, Casa Grande, Marana and Safford from which emerging pink bollworms were obtained for the comparative studies with the USDA susceptible strain. The Parker collection failed to yield sufficient numbers from which meaningful data could be obtained and therefore is not included in this report. Methods Pink bollworm -infested bolls were collected from Parker, Yuma, Casa Grande, Marana and Safford, and returned to the University of Arizona Entomology Laboratory at the Campus Agricultural Center (CAC) for collection of moths for resistance assessment. The susceptible strain used for comparison 154 was obtained from the Western CottonResearch Laboratory, USDA -ARS, Phoenix, Arizona. The infested bolls were placed on screened trays on greenhouse benches andlined with paper towels as pupation sites for emerging larvae. These were periodically collectedand held in 230m1 paper ice cream cups for moth emergence. Laterthese bolls were placed in small pyramidal pink bollworm emergence cages and moths collecteddaily from the collection site at the apex of the cages. Adults were anaesthetized with carbon dioxide and treatedindividually with 1 pi of the test solution applied to the dorsum. The topical application was donewith a motor -driven micro -applicator fitted with a 0.25m1 tuberculin syringe. Treated insects were held inrearing cups and provided with a 10% sugar solution for food. Mortality counts weremade at 24 and 48 hours after treatment. Results Figure I shows the relative tolerance of 4 field strains of pink bollworm(PBW) to permethrin when compared with the USDA strain. Populations from Casa Grande,Marana and Yuma had LD50's (lethal dose of insecticide to kill 50% of the population) severalfold higher than the USDA strain, while the Safford population was intermediate but still much harder tokill than the susceptible strain(USDA). Figure 2 compares the change in LD50's with permethrin from1986 (Osman et al. 1991) to 1990 for populations from Safford, Marana and Yuma. Susceptibilitydropped slightly in the USDA and Yuma populations while increasing significantly for those at Maranaand Safford. Figure 3 shows a comparison in response to permethrin between1986 and 1990 for 3 specific insecticide concentrations for PBW populations from Safford,Marana and Yuma. The vertical bars represent percent mortality and show essentiallythe same relationship as in figure 2, i.e., a lower mortality in 1990 at all concentrations for populations fromSafford and Marana but higher mortality in the Yuma population. Figure 4 shows the tolerance levels for azinphosmethyl for bothtesting periods for the USDA and Fuma populations. There was no change between 1986 and1990 in the USDA strain but some increased susceptibility in the Yuma strain was evident. In summary, there was an increased tolerance to permethrinfor PBW populations in central and eastern Arizona. In western Arizona there was somedecline in tolerance to permethrin but the level was still sufficiently high to portendproblems with control. There was no indication of tolerance to azinphosmethyl developing in field populations. References Cited Bariola, L. A. 1985. Evidence of resistance to syntheticpyrethroids in field populations of pink bollworm in southern California. p. 138. Lg. proceedings ofthe beltwide cotton production and research conference, Jan. 6 -11, 1985. New Orleans, LA. Haynes, K. F., T. A. Miller, R. T. Staten, W. G. Li, andT. C. Baker. 1986. Monitoring insecticide resistance with insect pheromones. Experimentia 42: 1293 -1295. Osman, A. A., T. F. Watson and S. Sivasupramiam. 1991.Susceptibility of field populations of pink bollworm (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)to azinphosmethyl and permethrin and synergism of permethrin. J. Econ. Entomol. (in press). Watson, T. F. and D. G. Fullerton. 1989. Timing of insecticidalapplications for control of pink bollworm. J. Econ. Entomol. 62: 682 -685. 155 4-7 USDA Casa Marana Safford Yuma Grande STRAIN Figure 1. Permethrin tolerance of pink bollworm from various locations inArizona in 1990, compared to a susceptible (USDA) strain. 18= Permethrin 16-' 1986 .111 14-' AMMO, 1990 -.MAW p)121 CY) 10- O _, 6-' 2-' ,...._. AIM 4=Prilk\s, 0 -el& \USDA MARANA SAFFORD YU MA STRAIN Figure 2. Change in tolerance to permethrin between 1986 and 1990 of pink bollworm strainsfrom various locations in Arizona, compared to a susceptible (USDA) strain. 156 100 90 1986 80 1990 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 MARANA SAFFORD YUMA STRAIN 100 0.12 ug/moth 90-' \.. 1986 80 .wrr 1990 70~' \ 60 \ 50 40-' 30-¡ 20- 10-' o _\\ MARANA SAFFC'9D YUMA STRAIN 100 90 1986 80 Ell 1990 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 MARANA SAFFORD YUMA STRAIN Figure 3. Susceptibility to pernlethrin in1986 and 1990 at concentrations of 0.08, 0.12 and0.16 jig /A13\\' moth, for strainsfrom Safford, Marana and Yuma. 157 Azinphosmethyl 1986 1990 USDA YUMA STRAIN Figure 4. Change in tolerance to azinphosmethyl between 1986 and 1990 of apink bollworm strain from Yuma, Arizona, compared to a susceptible (USDA) strain. 158.