Laboratory and Field Evaluation of a Cypermethrin-Based Insecticide for the Control of Alphitobius Diaperinus Panzer (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and Its in-Vitro Effects on Beauveria Bassiana Bals. Vuill. (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae)

Abstract

The control of Alphitobius diaperinus is based mainly on chemical insecticides, and the indiscriminate and incorrect use of these products has led to failures in insect control. Thus, it is important to monitor the efficiency of the products available on the market and to develop alternative insect control strategies. The present study evaluated the effect of a new product (cypermethrin-6%) under laboratory and field conditions and assessed its in-vitro compatibility with the fungus Beauveria bassiana (Unioeste 4 isolate). Its efficiency in dry powder and wettable powder formulations was also assessed in the laboratory through comparison with a similar insecticide (cypermethrin-5%) at five different concentrations. The field assays were conducted in two commercial broiler breeder houses (Treated and Control), applying the new product on the litter at the manufacturer's recommended concentration (RC). Germination, vegetative growth, conidial production, number of colony forming units (CFUs) and insecticidal activity of the fungus were used to evaluate the compatibility of the insecticide. The effects of the cypermethrin-6% product and cypermethrin-5% were equivalent in the laboratory, and the new product exhibited better performance at lower concentrations (¼RC, ⅛RC). The strategy applied in the field reduced the insect population in up to 96% after 75 days. Additionally, all concentrations of cypermethrin-6% were compatible with the fungus under the evaluated in-vitro conditions. Therefore, the new product is considered selective for B. bassiana. Further studies are necessary to assess its compatibility under field conditions, consolidating this strategy as a viable alternative for managing this pest.

Susceptibility of the Lesser Mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), From Broiler Farms of Southern Brazil to Insecticides

“…Cypermethrin is a sodium channel modulator that causes excitatory paralysis of the insect, whereas chlorpyrifos is an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (Insecticide Resistance Action Committee [IRAC] 2017). Both active ingredients are widely used against A. diaperinus in broiler farms in Brazil and other countries (Steelman 2008, Tomberlin et al 2008, Chernaki-Leffer et al 2011, Oliveira et al 2016. Specifically, in Brazil, the reduced number of active ingredients registered for use in broiler farms has contributed to the resistance evolution in A. diaperinus.…”

“…Alternative control strategies, such as biopesticides and entomopathogenic fungi have some efficacy against A. diaperinus but are rarely used in broiler farms (Chernaki-Leffer et al 2007, Rezende et al 2009, Szczepanik et al 2016. Though some of these management strategies reduce the infestation of this species, the use of insecticides remains the main control strategy (Oliveira et al 2016). Currently, the insecticides registered for application in poultry facilities in Brazil include pyrethroids and organophosphates that contain the active ingredients cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos, respectively.…”

“…Currently, the insecticides registered for application in poultry facilities in Brazil include pyrethroids and organophosphates that contain the active ingredients cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos, respectively. These insecticides are widely used, isolated or in mixture, in commercial formulated products against A. diaperinus (Silva et al 2007, Oliveira et al 2016. This reduced number of insecticides registered for use against this species favors the evolution of resistance.…”

The lesser mealworm Alphitobius diaperinus: a noxious pest or a promising nutrient source?

“…), cypermethrin (Oliveira et al . ), cyfluthrin (Weaver ; Kaufman et al . ), β‐cyfluthrin (Lyons et al .…”

Cinnamomum zeylanicum Essential Oil Reduces Infestation by Alphitobius diaperinus in Poultry Litter

“…The lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) is a major nuisance in poultry farming, disrupting the production chain, causing reductions in broilers weight gain, depreciating the value of facilities, and acting as disease vectors for pathogens such as fungi, viruses and bacteria [5]. Considered a difficult-to-manage pest, lesser mealworms are often treated with pyrethroid insecticides, such as cypermethrin, and organophosphates such as chlorpyrifos [19].…”