Reduced-risk insecticides can effectively manage thrips without compromising Orius predation in pepper production
The western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) is a key pest in fruiting vegetables worldwide, causing significant yield losses in peppers via feeding on leaves, flowers and fruits. While pepper growers rely heavily on insecticides for WFT management, some insecticide product...
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Elsevier
2025-09-01
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| Series: | Biological Control |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1049964425001458 |
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| author | Arnol Ariel Gomez-Santos Ashley Leach |
| author_facet | Arnol Ariel Gomez-Santos Ashley Leach |
| author_sort | Arnol Ariel Gomez-Santos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) is a key pest in fruiting vegetables worldwide, causing significant yield losses in peppers via feeding on leaves, flowers and fruits. While pepper growers rely heavily on insecticides for WFT management, some insecticide products may compromise natural enemies, like minute pirate bugs (Orius spp., Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), crucial predators of thrips. To assess the performance of insecticides in bell pepper production, we conducted field trials and laboratory bioassays. Field trials were conducted to assess the impact of six insecticides (isocycloseram, cyantraniliprole, spinetoram, spirotetramat, λ-cyhalothrin and imidacloprid) on densities of WFT and Orius and yield. In a follow-up bioassay, we exposed minute pirate bugs (Orius insidiosus (Say)), to insecticide residues and measured their mortality and predation of WFT. Results indicate that broad-spectrum insecticides significantly reduced field Orius populations by up to 80 %, while reduced-risk insecticides like cyantraniliprole and spirotetramat had minimal impact. Furthermore, while insecticide management contributed to WFT suppression, its impact on yield was minimal, indicating that factors beyond WFT management may play a more significant role in determining productivity in pepper production systems. Laboratory insecticide residual bioassays further demonstrated that exposure to broad-spectrum insecticide residues significantly increased mortality of O. insidiosus and decreased predation of WFT. In contrast, the residues of selective insecticides did not significantly impact mortality and overall predation of WFT. These findings support the use of cyantraniliprole, spirotetramat and spinetoram as effective insecticides in sustainable pest management programs that effectively reduce WFT while preserving Orius populations and their predatory function. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1e9c95265b994e8ab84605b3ea9b7bfc |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1049-9644 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biological Control |
| spelling | doaj-art-1e9c95265b994e8ab84605b3ea9b7bfc2025-08-20T03:41:57ZengElsevierBiological Control1049-96442025-09-0120810583510.1016/j.biocontrol.2025.105835Reduced-risk insecticides can effectively manage thrips without compromising Orius predation in pepper productionArnol Ariel Gomez-Santos0Ashley Leach1Corresponding author.; Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USADepartment of Entomology, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691, USAThe western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) is a key pest in fruiting vegetables worldwide, causing significant yield losses in peppers via feeding on leaves, flowers and fruits. While pepper growers rely heavily on insecticides for WFT management, some insecticide products may compromise natural enemies, like minute pirate bugs (Orius spp., Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), crucial predators of thrips. To assess the performance of insecticides in bell pepper production, we conducted field trials and laboratory bioassays. Field trials were conducted to assess the impact of six insecticides (isocycloseram, cyantraniliprole, spinetoram, spirotetramat, λ-cyhalothrin and imidacloprid) on densities of WFT and Orius and yield. In a follow-up bioassay, we exposed minute pirate bugs (Orius insidiosus (Say)), to insecticide residues and measured their mortality and predation of WFT. Results indicate that broad-spectrum insecticides significantly reduced field Orius populations by up to 80 %, while reduced-risk insecticides like cyantraniliprole and spirotetramat had minimal impact. Furthermore, while insecticide management contributed to WFT suppression, its impact on yield was minimal, indicating that factors beyond WFT management may play a more significant role in determining productivity in pepper production systems. Laboratory insecticide residual bioassays further demonstrated that exposure to broad-spectrum insecticide residues significantly increased mortality of O. insidiosus and decreased predation of WFT. In contrast, the residues of selective insecticides did not significantly impact mortality and overall predation of WFT. These findings support the use of cyantraniliprole, spirotetramat and spinetoram as effective insecticides in sustainable pest management programs that effectively reduce WFT while preserving Orius populations and their predatory function.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1049964425001458Natural biological controlWestern flower thripsMinute pirate bugsInsecticides |
| spellingShingle | Arnol Ariel Gomez-Santos Ashley Leach Reduced-risk insecticides can effectively manage thrips without compromising Orius predation in pepper production Biological Control Natural biological control Western flower thrips Minute pirate bugs Insecticides |
| title | Reduced-risk insecticides can effectively manage thrips without compromising Orius predation in pepper production |
| title_full | Reduced-risk insecticides can effectively manage thrips without compromising Orius predation in pepper production |
| title_fullStr | Reduced-risk insecticides can effectively manage thrips without compromising Orius predation in pepper production |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reduced-risk insecticides can effectively manage thrips without compromising Orius predation in pepper production |
| title_short | Reduced-risk insecticides can effectively manage thrips without compromising Orius predation in pepper production |
| title_sort | reduced risk insecticides can effectively manage thrips without compromising orius predation in pepper production |
| topic | Natural biological control Western flower thrips Minute pirate bugs Insecticides |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1049964425001458 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT arnolarielgomezsantos reducedriskinsecticidescaneffectivelymanagethripswithoutcompromisingoriuspredationinpepperproduction AT ashleyleach reducedriskinsecticidescaneffectivelymanagethripswithoutcompromisingoriuspredationinpepperproduction |