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

Abstract

The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer, 1797) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae), is considered the primary insect pest in broiler farms in Brazil. In this study, we characterized the susceptibility of A. diaperinus populations from broiler farms of southern Brazil to cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos. Larvae and adults of A. diaperinus were exposed to these technical insecticides diluted in acetone in residual bioassays. A geographic variation in the susceptibility of larvae and adults of A. diaperinus to both insecticides was detected. The larval LC50 for cypermethrin ranged from 0.43 to 7.33 µg a.i./cm2. Two populations from Santa Catarina state presented higher resistance ratios of 13.6- and 17-fold. When adults were exposed to cypermethrin, the LC50 ranged from 0.46 to 4.93 µg a.i./cm2, with population SC-3 from Santa Catarina having lower susceptibility (resistance ratio of 10.7-fold). When exposed to chlorpyrifos, A. diaperinus larvae present LC50 values ranging from 0.21 to 4.30 µg a.i./cm2. Larvae from Paraná and Santa Catarina (SC-1 population) presented the highest resistance ratios, ranging from 10- to 20-fold. In adults, the LC50 of chlorpyrifos ranged from 0.17 to 5.30 µg a.i./cm2, showing a maximum resistance ratio of 31-fold in a population from Paraná state. Based on LC99 values, candidate diagnostic concentrations of 15 and 12 µg a.i./cm2 of cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos, respectively, were also estimated for the resistance monitoring of A. diaperinus in Brazil. The implications of these results in Insect Resistance Management are discussed.

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

“…; Hickmann et al . ). The susceptibility level of various populations depends on the active ingredient (Tomberlin et al .…”

“…), tetrachlorvinphos (Singh & Johnson ), chlorpyrifos (Hickmann et al . ) and several other commonly used insecticides (Steelman ). Lambkin et al .…”

Effectiveness of Biocidal Paint Containing Permethrin, Ultramarine and Violet 23 Against Alphitobius diaperinus (Panzer) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in Laboratories and Poultry Houses

“…Some products are not always efficient, as they may not reach the hideouts of the insects, for instance in wall and floor crevices [ 44 ]. According to Hickmann et al [ 45 ], currently the most commonly used chemical insecticides are pyrethroids and organophosphates, which, as research has shown, leads to the growing resistance of A. diaperinus to these compounds. The resistance of the insect to fenitrothion and permethrin was observed in Great Britain back in 1996.…”

“…In turn, in Australia, the resistance of A. diaperinus against fenitrothion, deltamethrin and cyfluthrin has been experimentally confirmed, whereas in North and South America its resistance against carbaryl, methoxychlor, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, cyfluthrin, permethrin, cypermethrin and chlorpyrifos has been recorded. In Brazil, a very low effectiveness of products containing cypermethrin was observed [ 45 ]. Regular identification of insecticidal susceptibility would allow manufacturers to rotate chemicals in order to reduce the insect’s resistance to insecticides in a given population [ 36 , 46 , 47 ].…”

Use of Starch Granules Enriched with Carvacrol for the Lesser Mealworm, <i>Alphitobius diaperinus</i> Control in Chicken House: Effects on Insects and Poultry

“…An increasing number of publications have described the resistance of pest to these compounds in several countries (Tomberlin et. al., 2008;Chernaki-Leffer et al, 2011;Hickmann et al, 2018). Thus, owing to environmental pollution caused by the excessive use and misuse of agrochemicals and the requirements of health food from consumers, alternative methods must be sought.…”