Neonicotinoid Insecticides for Ornamentals The Good, Bad and Ugly - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Neonicotinoid Insecticides for Ornamentals

The Good, Bad and Ugly

Catharine Mannion University of Florida, IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center

Neonicotinoids Insecticides

• Use of these

insecticides has grown considerably since the forerunner of the group (imidacloprid) was first introduced in the early 1990’s

• Seven neonicotinoid

insecticides

• Acetamiprid
• Clothianidin
• Dinotefuran
• Imidacloprid
• Thiamethoxam
• Nitempyram
• Thiacloprid

Neonicotinoid Insecticides What do We Know

• Systemic
• Effective against sucking insects but also

some chewing insects

• Rates tend to be lower than traditional

insecticides

• Labeled as “Warning” or “Caution”
• IRAC Mode of Action – 4A

Neonicotinoid Insecticides What do We Know

• Act on the insect central nervous system
• Mode of action is similar to that of nicotine
• Both nicotine and neonicotinoids act on an

acetylcholine receptor; but neonicotinoids act on a unique receptor in insects making it less toxic to mammals which is unlike nicotine which is more selectively toxic to mammals

SPECIFICITY OF NEONICOTINOIDS FOR α4β2 NICOTINIC RECEPTORS

Neonicotinoid IC*50 nM Selectivity Ratio Insect Vertebrate Acetamiprid 8.3 700 84 Clothianidin 2.2 3,500 1,591 Dinotefuran 900 >100,000 >111 Imidacloprid 4.6 2,600 565 Nicotine 4000 7 0.002

*Concentration of neonicotinoid or nicotine that produces 50% inhibition of the nicotinic receptor

(Tomizawa and Casida, 2005)

What are the Variables Associated with Successful Applications?

Type of Plant Ecological Considerations

(runoff, leaching, non-targets)

Growing Environment

(container, field, greenhouse, landscape, etc)

Application Method (foliar, drench broadcast,

injection, etc)

Target Pest(s)

What are the Variables Associated with Successful Applications?

Speed of Uptake and Persistence

• Target pest

differences

• Half‐life of the

insecticide (in soil and water)

• UV stability
• Light intensity
• Transpiration rate
• Acid dissociation

constant (pKa)

• Octanol‐Water

Coefficient (Log P or Log Kow)

• Water solubility
• Soil adsorption

UV Stability of Neonicotinoids

Data obtained from published EPA registration documents (R. Fletcher) Slide Credit: Presentation by C. Sclar, Longwood Gardens

pKa and Log P (Log Kow) Values for Neonicotinoids

Neonicotinoid (AI) Acid Dissociation Constant Log P Acetamiprid 0.7 0.8 Clothianidin 11.1 0.7 Dinotefuran 12.6 ‐0.64 Imidacloprid “weak base” 0.57 Thiamethoxam n/a ‐0.13

Slide Credit: C. Sclar; F. Byrne

Relative Water Solubility of Neonicotinoids

Slide information courtesy C. Sclar. Longwood Gardens

Summary of Characteristics

Neonicotinoid A.I. pKa Log P (Log Kow) Koc Water Sol. Acetamiprid Low High Med. High Clothianidin High High Med. Low Dinotefuran High Low Low Very High Imidacloprid None? High High Low Thiamethoxam None Low Med. High

Slide information courtesy C. Sclar. Longwood Gardens

Some Generalizations…

Neonicotinoid A.I. Relative Speed

• f Uptake

Relative Rate

• f Persistence

Acetamiprid Fast Short – Mod. Clothianidin Slow (?)

• Mod. – Long

Dinotefuran Fast Short – Mod (?) Imidacloprid Slow (?) Long Thiamethoxam Med(?) – Fast Short – Mod. (?)

Slide information courtesy C. Sclar. Longwood Gardens

Acetamiprid

• Trade name: Tristar 30SG (Caution)
• For use on ornamental and flowering

plants grown outdoors and in greenhouses, shadehouses and lathhouses

• Not for homeowner use
• Application: Foliar only

Clothianidin

• Arena 50WDG;

– Turfgrass, sod farms, landscape ornamentals, interiorscapes, and non‐bearing fruit and nut trees in the landscape – Drench, broadcast, foliar

• Aloft G or SC – contains clothianidin and

bifenthrin

– Turf and landscape ornamentals around residential, institutional, public, commercial, and industrial buildings, parks, recreational areas, athletic fields and sod farms (specific labels for golf courses) – Drench, broadcast, foliar

Dinotefuran

• Safari 20 SG; 2G
• For greenhouse, nursery, interiorscapes and
• utdoor landscapes
• Application – foliar, broadcast, soil drench, soil

injection, micro‐irrigation, drip irrigation,

• verhead irrigation, ebb and flood, trunk

spray

Imidacloprid

• Merit 75WP; 75WSP, 2F, 0.5G

– Commercial and residential landscapes and interiorscapes – Foliar and soil applications

• Marathon II, 60 WP, G

– Greenhouses, nurseries and interiorscapes – Foliar and soil applications

• CoreTect

– Landscapes, interiorscapes, forested areas – Soil application

Imidacloprid

• Discus

– Field and container nurseries – Combined with a pyrethroid (cyfluthrin) – Foliar, soil injection, soil drench

• Allectus SC

– Turfgrass and landscape of residential lawns, commercial, industrial, institutional, and recreational areas (Not golf courses or sod farms) – Combined with a pyrethroid (bifenthrin) – Foliar, broadcast, drench, soil injection,

Thiamethoxam

• Flagship 25 WG

– Greenhouses, lath and shadehouses, containers, field nurseries – Foliar, broadcast, drench, chemigation,

• Meridian 25WG; 0.33G

– Turfgrasses on golf courses, residential lawns, commercial grounds, parks, playgrounds, athletic fields and sold farms and ornamentals plants in residential and commercial landscapes, parks, golf courses and interiorscapes – Foliar, broadcast, drench, soil injection

Methods of Application

There are numerous options on how to apply the neonicotinoids;

• Take advantage of the different methods
• Take advantage of the different formulations
• Fit the method of application for the site
• The site and method needs to be on the label
• Consider the methods that gets the needed

result with the least negative impact on the environment/non‐targets

Ornamental Pest Management with Neonicotinoids

Key ornamental pests

– Scales – Mealybugs – Whiteflies

–Thrips

Ornamental Pest Management with Neonicotinoids Examples from South Florida

• 1. Differences in efficacy

– Cycad aulacaspis scale – Asian citrus psyllid

• 2. Differences due to host

stage – Diaprepes root weevil

• 3. Difference due to host

plant – Lobate lac scale

• 4. Avoiding unnecessary

applications – Ficus thrips

• 5. Soil versus drench

– Ficus whitefly

• 6. Insecticide rate

– Ficus whitefly

• 1. Examples of Differences due to

Efficacy

• Cycad aulacaspis scale

– Dinotefuran and acetamiprid were more efficacious than imidacloprid

• Asian citrus psyllid

– As foliar sprays, two neonicotinoid products that also contained a pyrethroid and (Discus and Allectus) and thiamethoxam (Flagship) provided longer control than

• thers testes

– Not much differences among products used as a drench – Longer control with drenches versus foliar application

Management of Cycad Aulacaspis Scale in Florida

• Pest of numerous cycads
• Fronds eventually become brown and

desiccated; ultimately causing plant death

Pesticide Options

• Oils

– Ultra fine horticultural Oil – Oganocide

• Insect growth regulators

– Distance

• Foliar insecticides

– Orthene – Malathion – Safari – TriStar

• Soil insecticides

– Safari

Management of Cycad Aulacaspis Scale

Control Merit‐drench Merit‐foliar Organocide Distance ‐foliar Dimethoate‐drench Dimethoate‐foliar

Management of Cycad Aulacaspis Scale

20 40 60 80 100 6 12 18 25 32 Percent Mortality Days After Application Control Allect Merit (drench) Merit (foliar) Discus Merit (foliar+drench)

Management of Asian Citrus Psyllid (Diaphorina citri) on Orange Jasmine

• Vectors citrus greening disease
• Pest of citrus and closely related

plants

2nd spray application

Percent Mortality of Asian Citrus Psyllid on Orange Jasmine

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 2 dat 5 dat 8 dat 12 dat 15 dat 19 day 22 day 29 day 38day 45 day 53 day 59 day 68 day 74 day

control Flag 4oz Flag 6oz Flag 8oz Flag drench 4oz Flag drench 8oz

• 2. Examples of Differences Due to

Stage of Insect

• Diaprepes root weevil

– Differences in efficacy of medium (5‐6th instar) larvae among 3 products (imidacloprid, imidacloprid + cyfluthrin, and dinotefuran; however, with larger larvae (9th instar), no difference – One neonicotinoid (dinotefuran) provided control

• f adults when applied as a drench

Management of Diaprepes Root Weevil in Florida

• Major pest of

citrus, sugarcane,

• rnamentals, root

crops

• Regulatory risk –

all stages are commonly spread

• n infested plant

material

Recovered Live Diaprepes Root Weevil Larvae (5‐6th instar)

Recovered Live Diaprepes Root Weevil Larvae (9th instar)

Percent Adult Mortality after Feeding on Foliage from Plants Treated with Insecticides

• 3. Examples of Differences Due to

Stage of Insect

• Lobate lac scale

– efficacy between two neonicotinoids was different

• n two host plants

Management of Lobate Lac Scale in Florida

• A pest on more

than 300 tropical and subtropical fruits and

• rnamentals
• Causes branch

dieback and sometimes plant death

Management of Lobate Lac Scale in Florida

Drench application Foliar application Evaluated 8 weeks after 1st application

UF/IFAS

• 4. Example of a Comparison with a Non‐

neonicotinoid and Avoiding Unnecessary Applications

• Ficus thrips

– No differences among products when populations were low; – Similar efficacy with a non‐neonicotinoid insecticide

Ficus Thrips

(Gynaikothrips uzeli)

Photos: UF/IFAS MREC

• First noted in 2003 due to heavy

damage on Ficus benjamina in south Florida

• Feeding causes sunken, reddish

spots on leaves. Leaves tend to curl and fold inward.

• 5. Examples of Differences Due

Method of Application

• Ficus whitefly

– Soil applications provided longer control

Management of Ficus Whitefly (Singhiella simplex) in Florida

• New continental

record

• Causes severe leaf

drop; branch dieback

Ficus Whitefly

• “Panic situation”
• Continuing to spread in the landscape and

nurseries

• Management – Nursery
• Established whitefly program
• Management – Landscape

– Homeowner (over‐the‐counter products) – Commercial applicators – High potential for overuse – Potential for disruption of natural enemies

Control of Ficus Whitefly

Control of Ficus Whitefly

Control of Ficus Whitefly

Control of Ficus Whitefly

Control of Ficus Whitefly

Control of Ficus Whitefly

Control of Ficus Whitefly

Control of Ficus Whitefly

Control of Ficus Whitefly Soil and Foliar Applications

• 6. Example of Differences Due

Rate of Application

• In this situation, there were no differences in

the two products tested or in the rate that was used of each product

Exotic Soft Scale

(Hemiptera: Coccidae)

• 2008 – Reported from

Monroe County on croton

• Continues to spread and

now found in several southern Florida Counties

• New to science; it is has

been described as a new genus and species

• Hosts – Numerous
• rnamental and fruit host ;

many native plants in Florida

Photo: H. Glenn, UF/IFAS

Control of Croton Scale

Ornamental Pest Management with Neonicotinoids

• Very useful, important group of compounds
• No, they do not always work
• Consider the differences among the different

ai’s, formulations, and methods of application and use to your advantage

• Recognizing

– When, where and how to use them – Recognizing “added” benefits – Manage the “popularity” of these products – Recognizing situations for overuse or misuse

• http://trec.ifas.ufl.edu/mannion
• http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/lso/IAWG/
• http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/
• http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/
• Pest Alerts

– University of Florida (http://extlab7.entnem.ufl.edu/pestalert/) – DOACS (http://doacs.state.fl.us/~pi/enpp/pi- pest-alert.html)

Web Resources

Catharine Mannion

Research and Extension Specialist Ornamental Entomology

University of Florida, IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center 18905 SW 280th Street Homestead, FL 33031 305-246-7000 cmannion@ufl.edu http://trec.ifas.ufl.edu/mannion