Effect of a Formulation of Anticarsia gemmatalis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus on the Predator Podisus nigrispinus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae), Using the Fertility Life Table Parameters

• Published in: Environmental entomology 2001-12, Vol.30 (6), p.1164-1173
• Main Authors: De Nardo, ElizabethA B, Maia, Aline H. N, Watanabe, Maria Aico
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adverse effects; Anticarsia gemmatalis; beneficial nontarget organisms; Biological and medical sciences; BIOLOGICAL CONTROL; biopesticide; biopesticides; Control; environmental risk assessment; fertility; formulations; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; life tables; mortality; Noctuidae; nontarget effects; nontarget organisms; Nuclear polyhedrosis virus; Nucleopolyhedrovirus; oviposition; Pentatomidae; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Podisus; Podisus nigrispinus; predators; predators of insect pests; Protozoa. Invertebrates; risk assessment; sublethal effects; viral insecticides
• ISSN: 0046-225X; 1938-2936
• DOI: 10.1603/0046-225X-30.6.1164

Two experiments were carried out in the laboratory to evaluate the effect of a formulation of the nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) of the velvetbean caterpillar, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner (AgNPV), on the predator Podisus nigrispinus Dallas. In the first experiment, predators were exclusively fed A. gemmatalis reared on artificial diet, treated with one formulation of the AgNPV (infected prey) or with water (healthy prey) as the control. In the second experiment, an additional treatment was incorporated in which the artificial diet was treated with an inactive (autoclaved) AgNPV formulation. The predators were fed on these exclusive prey during their entire lifespans for three or four consecutive generations, during the first and second experiment, respectively. Daily observation of oviposition and mortality were performed to provide data for the construction of fertility life tables and to determine daily oviposition patterns and survival distribution curves. For both experiments, no adverse effects were observed in the first generation. However, significant effects in the predator population were observed throughout the subsequent generations, when the predators were fed with prey that fed on infective or inactivated AgNPV diet compared with the healthy prey. The adverse effects observed might be due to some inert components present in the commercial formulation, because the AgNPV has been demonstrated to be highly specific to Lepidoptera and neither does it replicate nor has any adverse effect on P. nigrispinus. The fertility life tables proved to be a good tool to measure the potential impact of biopesticides on nontarget population under laboratory conditions. RESUMO Dois experimentos foram realizados em condições de laboratório para avaliar o efeito de uma formulação comercial de Vírus da Poliedrose Nuclear da lagarta da soja, Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner (AgNPV) na biologia de Podisus nigrispinus Dallas. No primeiro experimento, os predadores foram alimentados exclusivamente com A. gemmatalis criadas em dieta artificial, tratada com uma formulação de AgNPV (presa infectada) ou com água (presa sadia), como controle. No segundo experimento, foi incorporado um tratamento adicional no qual a dieta artificial foi tratada com uma formulação de AgNPV inativada (autoclavada). Os predadores foram alimentados com essas presas exclusivas durante toda a vida por três ou quatro gerações consecutivas, durante o primeiro e o segundo experimentos, respectivamente