OVIPOSICIÓN DE Bactericera cockerelli (SULC) (HEMIPTERA: TRIOZIDAE) EN Capsicum chinense (JACQ) TRATADO CON SPIROMESIFEN O SPIROTETRAMAT

Abstract

The potato/tomato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli, is one of the most important pests of solanaceous crops in the world. Spirotetramat and spiromesifen are insecticides commonly used against this pest and act by inhibiting acetyl CoA carboxylase, thus preventing the biosynthesis of lipids. Their effect of the insecticides on the oviposition behavior of B. cockerelli on habanero pepper plants, [Capsicum chinense (Jacq)] was evaluated. The foliage of the plant was divided into three strata (upper, middle and lower), and all the strata combinations were treated separately with 30 mL of the solution at a concentration of 1 mL L^-1 of commercial formulation using a Potter tower at 0.703 kg cm^-2 of pressure, calibrated to apply 2 mL cm^-2. After 1 h of treatment, the plastic cover was removed from the untreated strata, and the plants of each treatment were infested with 20 pairs of 20 to 24 h-old adults and allowed them to oviposit for 7 d. The number of eggs per leaf per stratum was recorded and its percentage was calculated. The percentage of eggs per leaf in the control at the upper, middle and lower strata was 42, 32 and 26 %, respectively. Spiromesifen significantly (P ≤ 0.05) inhibited oviposition only in the treated layer. Spirotetramat significantly (P ≤ 0.05) reduced the oviposition rate, regardless of the treated stratum, indicating biological activity on untreated parts of the plant, either above or below the treated part.