Prebloom Petroleum Oil Applications for Delaying Pear Psylla (Homoptera: Psyllidae) Oviposition

Abstract

Application of petroleum oils prior to oviposition by overwintering pear psylla, Psylla pyricola Foerster, reduced oviposition by 98% for up to 5 weeks. The delay of oviposition and reduction in subsequent egg and nymph densities were inversely proportional to the rate of oil used. The reduced oviposition rate was due primarily to inhibition of oviposition by oil deposits on the host, not adult mortality. No commercially important deleterious effects of oil treatments were detected on several pear varieties.

A Review on the Mode of Action and Current Use of Petroleum Distilled Spray Oils

“…Antifeedant properties of oils and starvation through deterrence have also been documented (Baxendale and Johnson, 1988;Najar-Rodríguez et al, 2007;. The deterrent effect of oil residues on oviposition has been observed in the citrus leafminer Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) Rae et al, 1996), codling moth (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) (Riedl et al, 1995), white apple leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) (Fernandez et al, 2001), the pear psylla Cacopsylla pyricola (Homoptera: Psyllidae) Foerster (Zwick and Westigard, 1978;Weissling et al, 1997), and whiteflies (Larew and Locke, 1990;Larew, 1988;Liang and Liu, 2002). Studies by Mensah et al (2001Mensah et al ( , 2002 have also shown that application of 2% (v/v) rate of Canopy® oil (nC27) to cotton and 4-5% (v/v) Texaco® oil (nC24) to maize plants can reduce oviposition of Helicoverpa spp.…”

“…Thus, once limited to early season or dormant sprays to avoid oil injury to green plant tissue, newer narrow-range PDSOs are being reconsidered and assessed for incorporation into integrated pest management programs. PDSOs have been found to be effective against numerous orchard pests including scales and mites Beattie and Smith, 1993), whiteflies (Larew and Locke, 1990;Liang and Liu, 2002), aphids (Najar-Rodríguez et al, 2007), psylla (Zwick and Westigard, 1978;Weissling et al, 1997), and fruit-feeding Lepidoptera (Davidson et al, 1991;Al Dabel et al, 2008). In apple orchards, the interest in PDSOs as part of integrated pest management programs has increased in the past years, particularly for the control of secondary pests (Fernandez et al, 2005).…”

The Past and Present of Pear Protection Against the Pear Psylla, Cacopsylla pyri L.

“…Some oily compounds could also be used in this period to interfere with egg deposition by C. pyri adults. It has been known from a long time that mineral oils and oily compounds could have negative effects on psylla egg deposition (Zwick & Westigard, 1978). A Turkish researcher (Erler, 2004) tested four types of oils, namely cotton seed oil, neem oil, fish-liver oil and summer oil, observing a delay in egg laying of about four weeks for fish-liver oil and summer oil, but of only one or two weeks for cotton seed oil and neem oil, probably depending on the stability of the oily material in open field.…”

Effects of Seasonal Mineral Oil Applications on the Pest and Natural Enemy Complexes of Apple

“…It has been used on a wide spectrum of pests and on a variety of crops over the years (Davidson et al 1991), including many of the primary and secondary pests of apple (Spuler 1927, Chapman et al 1952. The recorded effects of oil include ovicidal activity (Smith and Pearce 1948), oviposition deterrence (Zwick and Westigard 1978, Riedl et al 1995, Fernandez et al 2001, and acute toxicity, usually to soft-bodied insects Westigard 1988, Davidson et al 1991). It also has been widely used as an adjuvant for other insecticides (Davidson et al 1991).…”