| Title: | Cucumber Plants Baited with Methyl Salicylate Accelerates Scymnus (Pullus) sodalis (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) Visiting to Reduce Cotton Aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) Infestation |
| Address: | "Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan, 189 Zhongzheng Road, Wufeng District, Taichung City 41362, Taiwan (R.O.C.). Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, 145 Xingda Road, South District, Taichung City 40227, Taiwan (R.O.C.)" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1938-291X (Electronic) 0022-0493 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii (Glover) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is a major pest of many crops worldwide and a major cucumber plant pest in Taiwan. Because cotton aphids rapidly develop insecticide resistance and because of the insecticide residue problem, a safe and sustainable method is required to replace conventional chemical control methods. Methyl salicylate (MeSA), a herbivore-induced plant volatile, has been shown to affect aphids' behavior and attract the natural enemies of aphids for reducing their population. Therefore, this study examined the direct effects of MeSA on cotton aphids' settling preference, population development, and attractiveness to natural enemies. The efficiency of using MeSA and the commercial insecticide pymetrozine for reducing the cotton aphid population in laboratory and outdoor cucumber plant pot was also examined. The results showed no difference in winged aphids' settling preference and population development between the MeSA and blank treatments. Cucumber plants infested with cotton aphids and baited with 0.1% or 10% MeSA contained significantly higher numbers of the natural enemy of cotton aphids, namely Scymnus (Pullus) sodalis (Weise) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and MeSA-treated cucumber plants contained a lower number of aphids. Significantly lower cotton aphid numbers were found on cucumber plants within a 10-m range of MeSA application. In addition, fruit yield showed no difference between the MeSA and pymetrozine treatments. According to our findings, 0.1% MeSA application can replace insecticides as a cotton aphid control tool. However, large-scale experiments are necessary to confirm its efficiency and related conservation biological control strategies before further use" |
| Keywords: | "Animals *Aphids Behavior, Animal/*drug effects Coleoptera/*drug effects Cucumis sativus *Food Chain Salicylates/*pharmacology biological control cotton aphid cucumber methyl salicylate;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineDong, Y J Hwang, S Y eng Evaluation Study England 2017/09/30 J Econ Entomol. 2017 Oct 1; 110(5):2092-2099. doi: 10.1093/jee/tox240" |
