IPM-recommended insecticides harm beneficial insects through contaminated honeydew

The use of some systemic insecticides has been banned in Europe because they are toxic to beneficial insects when these feed on nectar. A recent study shows that systemic insecticides can also kill beneficial insects when they feed on honeydew. Honeydew is the sugar-rich excretion of hemipterans and...

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Main Authors: Calvo-Agudo, Miguel, González-Cabrera, Joel, Sadutto, Daniele, Picó, Yolanda, Urbaneja, Alberto, Dicke, Marcel, Tena, Alejandro
Format: article
Language:Inglés
Published: Elsevier 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/6601
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749120362692
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author Calvo-Agudo, Miguel
González-Cabrera, Joel
Sadutto, Daniele
Picó, Yolanda
Urbaneja, Alberto
Dicke, Marcel
Tena, Alejandro
author_browse Calvo-Agudo, Miguel
Dicke, Marcel
González-Cabrera, Joel
Picó, Yolanda
Sadutto, Daniele
Tena, Alejandro
Urbaneja, Alberto
author_facet Calvo-Agudo, Miguel
González-Cabrera, Joel
Sadutto, Daniele
Picó, Yolanda
Urbaneja, Alberto
Dicke, Marcel
Tena, Alejandro
author_sort Calvo-Agudo, Miguel
collection ReDivia
description The use of some systemic insecticides has been banned in Europe because they are toxic to beneficial insects when these feed on nectar. A recent study shows that systemic insecticides can also kill beneficial insects when they feed on honeydew. Honeydew is the sugar-rich excretion of hemipterans and is the most abundant carbohydrate source for beneficial insects such as pollinators and biological control agents in agroecosystems. Here, we investigated whether the toxicity of contaminated honeydew depends on i) the hemipteran species that excretes the honeydew; ii) the active ingredient, and iii) the beneficial insect that feeds on it. HPLC-MS/MS analyses demonstrated that the systemic insecticides pymetrozine and flonicamid, which are commonly used in Integrated Pest Management programs, were present in honeydew excreted by the mealybug Planococcus citri. However, only pymetrozine was detected in honeydew excreted by the whitefly Aleurothixus floccosus. Toxicological studies demonstrated that honeydew excreted by mealybugs feeding on trees treated either with flonicamid or pymetrozine increased the mortality of the hoverfly Sphaerophoria rueppellii, but did not affect the parasitic wasp Anagyrus vladimiri. Honeydew contaminated with flonicamid was more toxic for the hoverfly than that contaminated with pymetrozine. Collectively, our data demonstrate that systemic insecticides commonly used in IPM programs can contaminate honeydew and kill beneficial insects that feed on it, with their toxicity being dependent on the active ingredient and hemipteran species that excretes the honeydew.
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spelling ReDivia66012025-04-25T14:47:27Z IPM-recommended insecticides harm beneficial insects through contaminated honeydew Calvo-Agudo, Miguel González-Cabrera, Joel Sadutto, Daniele Picó, Yolanda Urbaneja, Alberto Dicke, Marcel Tena, Alejandro Biological control Ecotoxicology Pesticides Pollinator Sublethal effects T Pollution A Agriculture H Protection of plants and stored products The use of some systemic insecticides has been banned in Europe because they are toxic to beneficial insects when these feed on nectar. A recent study shows that systemic insecticides can also kill beneficial insects when they feed on honeydew. Honeydew is the sugar-rich excretion of hemipterans and is the most abundant carbohydrate source for beneficial insects such as pollinators and biological control agents in agroecosystems. Here, we investigated whether the toxicity of contaminated honeydew depends on i) the hemipteran species that excretes the honeydew; ii) the active ingredient, and iii) the beneficial insect that feeds on it. HPLC-MS/MS analyses demonstrated that the systemic insecticides pymetrozine and flonicamid, which are commonly used in Integrated Pest Management programs, were present in honeydew excreted by the mealybug Planococcus citri. However, only pymetrozine was detected in honeydew excreted by the whitefly Aleurothixus floccosus. Toxicological studies demonstrated that honeydew excreted by mealybugs feeding on trees treated either with flonicamid or pymetrozine increased the mortality of the hoverfly Sphaerophoria rueppellii, but did not affect the parasitic wasp Anagyrus vladimiri. Honeydew contaminated with flonicamid was more toxic for the hoverfly than that contaminated with pymetrozine. Collectively, our data demonstrate that systemic insecticides commonly used in IPM programs can contaminate honeydew and kill beneficial insects that feed on it, with their toxicity being dependent on the active ingredient and hemipteran species that excretes the honeydew. 2020-09-23T12:32:03Z 2020-09-23T12:32:03Z 2020 article publishedVersion Calvo-Agudo, M., González-Cabrera, J., Sadutto, D., Picó, Y., Urbaneja, A., Dicke, M., & Tena, A. (2020). IPM-recommended insecticides harm beneficial insects through contaminated honeydew. Environmental Pollution, 115581. 0269-7491 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/6601 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115581 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749120362692 en info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/Programa estatal de i+D+i Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad/RTA2017-00095-00-00//Mejora de la gestión integrada de pseudocóccidos en cítricos y caqui info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO/Programa Estatal de Promoción del Talento y su Empleabilidad/RYC-2013-13834 RTA2017-00095 RYC-2013- 13834 CPD2016- 0085 openAccess Elsevier electronico
spellingShingle Biological control
Ecotoxicology
Pesticides
Pollinator
Sublethal effects
T Pollution
A Agriculture
H Protection of plants and stored products
Calvo-Agudo, Miguel
González-Cabrera, Joel
Sadutto, Daniele
Picó, Yolanda
Urbaneja, Alberto
Dicke, Marcel
Tena, Alejandro
IPM-recommended insecticides harm beneficial insects through contaminated honeydew
title IPM-recommended insecticides harm beneficial insects through contaminated honeydew
title_full IPM-recommended insecticides harm beneficial insects through contaminated honeydew
title_fullStr IPM-recommended insecticides harm beneficial insects through contaminated honeydew
title_full_unstemmed IPM-recommended insecticides harm beneficial insects through contaminated honeydew
title_short IPM-recommended insecticides harm beneficial insects through contaminated honeydew
title_sort ipm recommended insecticides harm beneficial insects through contaminated honeydew
topic Biological control
Ecotoxicology
Pesticides
Pollinator
Sublethal effects
T Pollution
A Agriculture
H Protection of plants and stored products
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11939/6601
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749120362692
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