Residual toxicity of some insecticides on the predatory bugs Dicyphus tamaninii and Macrolophus caliginosus

Chlorpyrifos, formetanate, methamidophos, imidacloprid and endosulfan were tested in the laboratory for their effects upon the mirid bugs Dicyphus tamaninii and Macrolophus caliginosus, which are polyphagous predators used for IPM programs in some vegetable crops. The mortality of third-fourth instar nymphs was checked 24 and 48 hours and 7 days after exposure to 1-, 3-, 8-, 21- and 30-day residues of the treatments on tomato leaflets. The reproductive capacity of surviving females also was evaluated for 15 days and compared with females that had not been exposed to insecticides. Chlorpyrifos, formetanate and methamidophos are considered persistent because they remained toxic to both mirid species for 30 days. Imidacloprid is moderately persistent, becoming harmless by 21 days after treatment for M. caliginosus and by 30 days after treatment for D. tamaninii. Endosulfan is moderately persistent for M. caliginosus, becoming harmless by 21 days after treatment, and is short lived for D. tamaninii, becoming harmless by 3 days after treatment. There were no effects on the reproductive capacity of females that were exposed as nymphs to the insecticides tested. Of all the insecticides, only endosulfan is marginally compatible with the use of D. tamaninii.