The systemic insecticide, imidacloprid, has gained widespread use in landscapes against a variety of insect pests. Some landscaper managers believe that imidacloprid is active in plants for long periods of time. However, relatively few studies have evaluated the residual activity of imidacloprid under field conditions for periods exceeding a year. In this study we report on the residual activity of imidacloprid in a woody landscape plant, Cotoneaster salicifolius Franch. grown under field
conditions in planting beds at a large metropolitan airport. The target pest was the Hawthorn lace bug (HLB), Corythuca cydoniae (Fitch). Field surveys indicated that imidacloprid treated plants remained free of HLB damage up to 26 months after soil applications. HLB nymphs exposed to plants treated 14 months prior to the experiment suffered lower survival and longevity. Behavioral analyses revealed that HLB nymphs and adults discriminated among cotoneaster leaves from treated and untreated plants. In addition to effects of imidacloprid on HLB, we noted significant mortality of minute pirate bugs, Orius insidiosus (Say), exposed to foliage of plants treated with imidacloprid.
Species 1: Heteroptera Tingidae Corythuca cydoniae (hawthorn lace bug)
Species 2: Heteroptera Anthocoridae Orius insidiosus (minute pirate bug)
Keywords: imidacloprid, cotoneaster
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