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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Mosquito and Fly Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #366287
Research Project: Management of Filth Flies

Location: Mosquito and Fly Research

Title: Insecticide resistance development in the filth fly pupal parasitoid, Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) using laboratory selections

Author
item MAIQUEZ, VINCENT - CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
item PITZER, JIMMY - CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY
item Geden, Christopher - Chris

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/1/2019
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Abstract only.

Technical Abstract: Agricultural pests cause economic damage due to production losses and management costs. Filth flies are prevalent animal industry insect pests that develop in decaying organic matter and can serve as mechanical vectors of disease-causing pathogens. In addition, most filth flies are considered nuisance pests, as their activities often disrupt the day-to-day activities of humans and animals. Filth flies are difficult to manage due to non-specific host-location preferences, their propensity to disperse great distances, and insecticide resistance evolution. However, insecticides continue to be one of many abatement methods utilized by agricultural producers to reduce their impacts. Although commercially-available insecticides can be effective and fast-acting, they also may compete with more biologically-friendly methods. Spalangia cameroni Perkins are beneficial parasitic wasps, which often are utilized as biological control organisms to manage filth fly populations such as house flies, Musca domestica (L.) and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.). Because these wasps search for filth fly pupae as hosts in areas commonly treated with insecticides, they may be experiencing off-target insecticide selection effects. However, resistance evolution among parasitic wasps has not been documented. This study was conducted to determine the potential of S. cameroni to develop resistance to the commonly-used insecticide, permethrin, under laboratory conditions. In addition, insecticide resistance levels were identified in five different S. cameroni colonies collected from different locations in the US to illustrate geographic variability in off-target insecticide exposure. Insecticide resistance evolution in this off-target organism has far-reaching implications for potential effects in other agricultural pest management systems.