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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Crop Diseases, Pests and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #289678
Title: Probing behaviors of adult Asian citrus psyllid (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)are not appreciably affected by soil application of field-rate aldicarb to citrus

Author
item SERIKAWA, ROSANA - University Of Florida
item Backus, Elaine
item ROGERS, MICHAEL - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/5/2013
Publication Date: 2/6/2014
Citation: Serikawa, R.H., Backus, E.A., Rogers, M.E. 2014. Probing behaviors of adult Asian citrus psyllid (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)are not appreciably affected by soil application of field-rate aldicarb to citrus. Florida Entomologist. 96:1334-1342.

Interpretive Summary: Aldicarb is a soil-applied systemic carbamate insecticide that has been used in Florida citrus since the 1970’s for both control of insect and mite pests and for its potential plant growth promoting benefits. Use of aldicarb has dramatically increased in Florida in recent years, in an attempt to control the spread of citrus greening disease, or Huanglongbing (HLB). The likely agent causing this disease is the phloem-limited bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), which is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The objective of this study was to determine the effects of aldicarb on ACP feeding behavior on citrus, to determine whether this systemic insecticide would disrupt behaviors responsible for Las transmission. An electrical penetration graph monitor was used to examine D. citri feeding behavior when given a feeding access period of 12 h on aldicarb-treated and untreated citrus plants. Results showed no mortality of D. citri over the course of feeding evaluations and no reduction in D. citri feeding behaviors between treatments. Unexpectedly, both phloem salivation and ingestion were significantly longer on aldicarb-treated compared to untreated plants, suggesting that aldicarb application may increase the likelihood of Las transmission. Alhtough registration of aldicarb for use in Florida citrus was recently discontinued, this study emphasizes the value of understanding the effects of insecticide applications for managing insect-vectored diseases.

Technical Abstract: In 2005, Huanglongbing disease (HLB), also known as citrus greening, was discovered in Florida. The presumptive causal agent of this disease is the phloem-limited bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (Las), which is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid,Diaphorina citri Kuwayama. Following the discovery of HLB, insecticide use for vector control has increased dramatically. One insecticide with increased use is aldicarb, a soil-applied systemic carbamate insecticide that was used in Florida citrus since the 1970’s for both control of insect and mite pests and for its potential plant growth promoting benefits. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of soil-applications of aldicarb to citrus on the feeding behavior of D. citri, to determine whether this systemic insecticide would disrupt feeding behaviors responsible for Las transmission. An electrical penetration graph monitor was used to examine D. citri feeding behavior when given a feeding access period of 12 h on aldicarb-treated and untreated citrus plants. Results showed no mortality of D. citri over the course of feeding evaluations and no reduction in D. citri probing behaviors between treatments. Unexpectedly, at the cohort level, both phloem salivation and ingestion were significantly longer on aldicarb-treated compared to untreated plants, suggesting that aldicarb application may increase the likelihood of Las transmission. In the months since this study was conducted, the registration of aldicarb for use in Florida citrus has been discontinued. However, this study emphasizes the importance of understanding the effects of insecticide applications for managing insect-vectored diseases.