Side effects of chlorantraniliprole, phosalone and spinosad on the egg parasitoid, Trichogramma brassicae

The combined use of chemicals and biological control is not always a successful strategy owing to the potential side effects on biocontrol agents. Lethal and sublethal effects of three commonly used insecticides were assessed on adult and immature stages of the egg parasitoid Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae). Recommended field concentrations of chlorantraniliprole, phosalone and spinosad caused mortality on preimaginal stages by 24, 87, and 98%, respectively. Lethal effects on parasitoid adults exposed to the insecticide dry residues were estimated as median lethal concentrations (LC50) that were 13.28, 0.25, and 0.03 µg a.i. ml−1 for chlorantraniliprole, phosalone, and spinosad, respectively. The effect of a low lethal concentration (LC30) of the compounds was evaluated on various adult biological traits, such as longevity, fecundity, emergence rate and other life table parameters. All compounds caused detrimental effects on all the estimated demographical indexes. Chlorantraniliprole affected the net reproductive rate, mean generation time and doubling time in comparison to the control; while, phosalone and spinosad adversely affected all assessed parameters. Phosalone and spinosad significantly reduced gross reproductive rate, net reproductive rate, intrinsic rate of increase, finite rate of increase, mean generation time and doubling time and reduced longevity, fecundity, emergence rate related to other biological parameters in comparison with control. The results suggest that all compounds are not fully compatible with the activity of T. brassicae, and that the inclusion of chlorantraniprole, spinosad and phosalone into Integrated Pest Management (IPM) involving this parasitoid has to be avoided. Nevertheless, further studies in open field conditions and on a multiple generation scale are necessary for providing a more definitive conclusion on the IPM suitability of the three tested insectcides.