Telenomus podisi Ashmead, 1893 is an important biocontrol agent, both in conventional and organic production systems. It can be used in association with other control strategies, such as natural botanical products and biological insecticides. Studies of selectivity and side effects are fundamental for proper management of insect control strategies because the interaction between different control strategies may negatively affect T. podisi. In this context, the present study evaluated the side effects of commercial natural products on T. podisi under laboratory conditions. Five natural products (insecticide, fungicide, and leaf fertilizer) allowed in organic farming were evaluated at concentrations recommended by the manufacturer in three bioassays. First bioassay (free-choice test), the preference of T. podisi parasitism between treated and non-treated E. heros eggs was assessed. In the second and third bioassay (no-choice tests) the treatments were applied to E. heros eggs, repectively before and after T. podisi parasitism (pre- and post-parasitism) and parasitism, emergence, offspring sex ratio, developmental time, and adult longevity were assessed. The products formulated with Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorok. (Hypocreales), Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. (Hypocreales), orange oil fertilizer, and the fungicide copper oxychloride did not have side effects on T. podisi because they did not affect most of the evaluated characteristics. In contrast, azadirachtin A/B had a sublethal effect due to the reduced parasitism in all tests performed and, although it did not affect other aspects, this could compromise the performance of the parasitoid.
The selectivity of entomopathogenic fungi to non-target organisms needs to be considered in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), because even though they are biological control agents, if used incorrectly, they can negatively alter the functioning of agroecosystems. Therefore, studies that assess the selectivity of these fungi to beneficial organisms are extremely important. The objective of this work was to evaluate the selectivity of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metarril®) and Beauveria bassiana (Boveril®) to adults of Telenomus podisi Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), under laboratory conditions. The products were evaluated on adult females of T. podisi, at the concentrations recommended by the manufacturer. To this, 0.2 mL of suspensions of each product and control (treatments) were applied to the inner surface of glass tubes, and then a female T. podisi was placed in it (≤ 48 h of emergence). After 24 h of contact, cards with 25 eggs of Euschistus heros Fabricius (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) were offered for 24 h (COF24). After this period, the COF24 were withdrawn. After 72 h of contact of the female with the tube surface, new E. heros egg cards were made available (COF72) for 24 h for T. podisi ovipositioning. The mortality of T. podisi females was evaluated daily to determine longevity, percentage of parasitism and emergence, sex ratio, and egg-adult period of the T. podisi offspring. Metarril® and Boveril®, considered selective for adult females of T. podisi, did not negatively affect most of the parameters evaluated.
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