Mortality and behavioral responses of adult potato psyllids, Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera:Psyllidae), to insecticides

It is unarguably important that insecticides suppress target pest populations, but the primary goal for successful management of vectors of plant diseases should be to minimize the feeding by all life stages on the crop. Thus, it is paramount that comprehensive testing of insecticides includes assessments of how they affect probing and feeding behavior and oviposition. In this laboratory study, we counted number of stylet sheaths (indication of probing and feeding), total oviposition, and mortality of adult potato psyllids, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) when exposed to potato leaves treated with abamectin, flonicamid, novaluron, distilled water, and a surfactant. Treatments with abamectin, flonicamid and novaluron caused significant decreases in both oviposition and numbers of stylet sheaths. Choice test was included to simulate incomplete leaf coverage, and the results highlighted the importance of including the effect of canopy coverage (application method) in performance analysis of insecticides.