Relationships between sulfonylurea herbicide treatment of host plants and the performance of herbivorous insects

Abstract

Previous work had shown that the sulfonylurea herbicide chlorsulfuron affected the survival of a herbivorous insect species dwelling on a sub-lethally exposed host plant. Further experiments have been conducted to establish whether this negative effect was a single occurrence characteristics for the specific insect-plant interaction and the specific herbicide tested. Three insect-plant interactions were tested for the effects of selected sulfonylurea herbicides, i.e. metsulfuron-methyl, chlorsulfuron and tribenuron-methyl. The species pairs tested were Pieris brassicae/Brassica napus, Gastrophysa polygoni/Fallopia convolvulus and Sitobium avenae/Triticum aestivium. No significant effects on survival and relative growth rate of P brassicae or G polygoni were found when treating the host plants with sulfonylurea herbicides. However, the host plants had a significantly reduced root and shoot growth rate when treated with herbicide. Treating T aestivium with the recommended field rate of metasulfuron-methyl did not cause any change in development time, growth rate or fecundity of S avenae feeding on the host plants. The data presented suggest that the increased mortality observed for G polygoni larvae feeding on chlorsulfuron-treated host plants observed earlier was characteristic for this herbicide and for the specific plant-insect interaction only.

Toxicity of the Herbicide Glufosinate-Ammonium to Predatory Insects and Mites of <I>Tetranychus urticae</I> (Acari: Tetranychidae) Under Laboratory Conditions

“…Evaluations of herbicide effects on butterflies and other insects are generally only for species of agricultural importance, such as pollinators, decomposers, and predators (e.g., Ahn et al 2001;Haughton et al 2001a,b). These effects vary depending on site-specific (Haughton et al 2001a,b;Stark and Banks 2003) and species-specific variables (Kjaer and Heimbach 2001;Stark and Banks 2003) and on the herbicide used (Agnello et al 1986a). Although some herbicides have no effect on certain insect species (Agnello et al 1986b;Kjaer and Heimbach 2001), others may be toxic, leading to decreased survival, altered development time, or reduced size of the insect species (Brown 1987;Ahn et al 2001;Russell and Schultz 2010).…”

“…These effects vary depending on site-specific (Haughton et al 2001a,b;Stark and Banks 2003) and species-specific variables (Kjaer and Heimbach 2001;Stark and Banks 2003) and on the herbicide used (Agnello et al 1986a). Although some herbicides have no effect on certain insect species (Agnello et al 1986b;Kjaer and Heimbach 2001), others may be toxic, leading to decreased survival, altered development time, or reduced size of the insect species (Brown 1987;Ahn et al 2001;Russell and Schultz 2010). They can also have an indirect effect on insect population abundance by creating an unsuitable habitat, such as the loss or avoidance of nectar and food plants (Feber et al 1996;Pratt et al 1997).…”

Developmental and reproductive response of Brachmia macroscopa (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) to three host plants

“…Developmental duration and fecundity of the insects were measured to determine whether the herbivorous insects had a good “biological fit” on a particular host plant or not. A short developmental duration and high fecundity may optimize a more suitable environment for the insects 25 . When B. macroscopa was reared on I. aquatica , the total duration of the egg and larval stages were the shortest, but the survival rates in the larval stage, and the adult fecundity were the highest, suggesting that I. aquatica may be the most suitable host for B. macroscopa .…”

Bensulfuron-Methyl Treatment of Soil Affects the Infestation of Whitefly, Aphid, and Tobacco Mosaic Virus on Nicotiana tabacum

“…There has been few investigations focusing on the interaction between plants and insects under the application of other herbicides such as atrazine or other kinds of sulfonylurea herbicides (Dewey, 1986; Kjaer and Heimbach, 2001). In the study of atrazine in 1986, the researchers focused on the community of the insects and suggested that herbicides affected the community of the insects community indirectly by reducing the food and habitat (Dewey, 1986).…”

“…In the study of atrazine in 1986, the researchers focused on the community of the insects and suggested that herbicides affected the community of the insects community indirectly by reducing the food and habitat (Dewey, 1986). In the study of sulfonylurea herbicide application on different host plants which were not sensitive, the activity of insects feeding on them were not severely affected except the death rate of Gastrophysa polygoni larvae (Kjaer and Heimbach, 2001). In our investigation, first of all, tobaccos are sensitive to BSM residues and show remarkable symptoms.…”