The present paper deals with laboratory studies on side‐effects of the mixed biocide GCSC‐BtA on Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lep., Plutellidae) and its predators, e. g. Amblyseius longispinosus (Evans) (Acari, Phytoseiidae), Erigonidium graminicola (Sundvall) (Araneae, Linyphiidae), Orius similis Zheng (Het., Anthocoridae) and Coccinella septempunctata L.(Col., Coccinellidae), in comparison to the commercial insecticides, e. g. Abamectin, Tebufenozide, Dichlorvos, Cartap and Lambda‐cyhalothrin.
The results showed that GCSC‐BtA was highly toxic to the 3rd instar of P. xylostella with 91.18 % mortality, followed by Cartap with 84.38 %, Abamectin with 78.00 %, Tebufenozide with 75.57 %, Lambda‐cyhalothrin with 63.75 % and Dichlorvos with 50.86 % mortality. On the other hand, GCSC‐BtA was found to be comparatively less toxic to the predators, causing 31.11 %, 13.33 %, 11.54 % and 6.00 % mortalities in A. longispinosus, E. graminicola, O. similis and C. septempunctata, respectively. For comparison, the mortalities recorded for Abamectin, Tebufenozide, Dichlorvos, Cartap, Lambda‐cyhalothrin were 72.94 %, 55.55 %, 70.00 %, 53.26 % and 98.85 % in A. longispinosus, 46.51 %, 55.10 %, 60.00 %, 46.00 % and 73.68 % in E. graminicola, 22.00 %, 16.00 %, 35.71 %, 26.78 % and 81.03 % in O. similis, 15.55 %, 19.64 %, 28.00 %, 16.66 % and 41.79 % in C. septempunctata, respectively.
Cluster analysis was introduced to group the mortalities caused by the treatments into three toxicity groups with the distance of D = 4.1. The 1st group consisted of GCSC‐BtA characterized with low toxicity to all the predators tested with 15.49 % mortality on average (highest 31.11 % and lowest 6.00 %). The 2nd group consisted of Abamectin, Tebufenozide, Dichlorvos and Cartap with moderate toxicity to the predators with 39.96 % mortality on average. The 3rd group included Lambda‐cyhalothrin with high toxicity to the predators with 73.83 % mortality on average (highest 98.85 % and lowest 41.70 %). The susceptibility of the pest and its predators to GCSC‐BtA and the insecticides is discussed. GCSC‐BtA as a biological control agent is recommended for use in the integrated pests control programs in the vegetable fields.