Effects of lufenuron and azadiractina on adults of Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae)

Abstract

Plutella xylostella, the most important pest of crucifers which causes great damages along the whole year to these crops has been controlled primarily by insecticides. The main goal of this research work was to evaluate the effects of the insecticides lufenuron and Nim (Azadirachta indica) on adult stages and the possibility of transovarial action on P. xylostella. The insects employed in this experiment were obtained from the Laboratory of Insect Biology and Insect Rearing at Unesp-FCAV, and the experiment was set up according to a completely random design, with eight treatments represented by 80 insect couples that were fed with a 0% honeybee solution in the control treatment and also supplemented with 0.5, 0.6 and 0.7 mL/L of Match CE (lufenuron) and 0., 0.5 and % of Nim. The supplementary diets were daily replaced. The rates of adults’ survival as well as egg-laying (oviposition) were not distinct within the treatments. Egg viability was the lowest (24.4%) when lufenuron was used in the highest dose. Both Nim and lufenuron had no effects on the ovulogenesis, but the later displayed transovarial action.Additional keywords: transovarial action; diamondback moth; Brassica; chemical control.