TITLE:
Euborellia annulipes Mortality and Predation on Diatraea saccharalis Eggs after Application of Chemical and Biological Insecticides
AUTHORS:
Rodrigo Marin Arroyo, Joice Mendonça De Souza, Gilmar Da Silva Nunes, Dagmara Gomes Ramalho, Sergio Antonio De Bortoli
KEYWORDS:
Sugarcane Borer, Biological Control, Food Preference, Earwigs
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.14 No.1,
January
17,
2023
ABSTRACT: Chemical and biological insecticides have been frequently used in sugarcane fields to control insects-pests, including the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis. Among the products used, those based on chlorantraniliprole and Metarhizium anisopliae entomopathogenic fungus, stand out. Euborellia annulipes is an insect of the order Dermaptera considered a potential predator of sugarcane borer eggs. This study aimed to evaluate the direct and indirect effects of the bioinsecticide based on M. anisopliae (Metarril®) and the chemical insecticide chlorantraniliprole (Altacor®) on the mortality of E. annulipes nymphs and adults, the predation and feeding preference of earwigs in eggs treated with the formulated products. Predator mortality was evaluated for seven days after treatment, while the effect on predation was analyzed by preference tests with and without choice, using prey eggs. The products tested were selective to the predator, causing ≤ 2% mortality and not affecting predation. The application of M. anisopliae on sugarcane borer eggs favored the food preference of fourth-instar nymphs, males, and females of the predator. Our results show that Metarril® and Altacor® can be used to control D. saccharalis when associated with the predator E. annulipes.