Effects of sublethal concentrations of pyriproxyfen and cyantraniliprole on Bemisia tabaci life table and nutritional profile

The sweetpotato whitefly Bemisia tabaci is an important pest of vegetable crops and cotton in Georgia, and currently, many populations are resistant to commonly used insecticides. Aside from the expected mortality, i.e., lethal effects, of these products, their action over development may impair the establishment of infestant populations. This study aimed to investigate the effects of sublethal concentrations of Pyriproxyfen and Cyantraniliprole on B. tabaci, a major agricultural pest, by examining their life table, feeding preference, and energy substrate profiles. A set of 25 couples of adult whiteflies of mixed age were collected from colonies established in the laboratory and enclosed in clip cages on a leaf of cotton, where they remained for 24 h. The adults were then removed, and after 12 days, the leaf was dipped in pre-selected concentrations of each insecticide , where mainly 2^nd instar nymphs were present. Nymph mortality was counted 48 h after treatment. From these results, the sublethal concentrations (LC₁₀) were estimated. For the life table analysis, nymphs of 2^nd instar were exposed to LC_10, and resultant newly emerged couples were isolated in a small clip cage and moved every 48h on the leaf surface. The number of eggs was counted daily until the female died. It is expected that the sublethal doses cause adverse effects on the developmental stages of B. tabaci, including effects on developmental time, fertility, fecundity, and behavior.