Comparative Toxicities of Selected Insecticides Against Pink Bollworm (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) Moths

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Comparative toxicities of 23 insecticides to adult pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), were determined by topical application. The smaller male was more susceptible than the female; however, the values were not significantly different. The moths were slightly more susceptible when the insecticides were applied to the thoracic dorsum than when they were applied to the abdominal venter. For doses applied to the dorsum, LD50, values at 48 h after treatment ranged from 0.0016 µg per male for cyfluthrin to 1.81 µg per male for malathion. These data may serve as reference values to determine if resistance to any of the insecticides develops in field populations of the pink bollworm; they may also aid in the selection of an insecticide for use in a spray program aimed at the adult moth or for use as an adulticide in a sex pheromone-insecticide (attracticide) system.