John D. Stark, stark@puyallup.wsu.edu, Washington State University, Entomology, 7612 Pioneer Way East, WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Puyallup, WA, Roger I. Vargas, rvargas@pbarc.ars.usda.gov, USDA-ARS Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Tropical Plant Pests Research Unit, P.O. Box 4459, Hilo, HI, and John E. Banks, banksj@u.washington.edu, University of Washington, Tacoma, Environmental Science, Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, 1900 Commerce Street, Tacoma, WA.
The compatibility of pesticides and biological control agents has been determined in the past with selectivity ratios comparing LC50 estimates of pest and beneficial species. However, this approach does not take into account differences in life history strategies which can result in significant differences in susceptibility at the population level. In this paper we will use a modeling approach to examine the levels of mortality and sublethal effects that biocontrol agents can withstand and still be effective at controlling pest species.
Keywords: pesticides, biological control
