• Korean journal of applied entomology
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• v.61 no.4
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• pp.519-528
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• 2022

The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, infests the hot pepper cultivated in greenhouses and has been considered to be controlled by a natural enemy, Orius laevigatus. However, sporadic outbreaks of the thrips due to fast population growth occasionally need chemical insecticide treatments. This study was designed to develop an optimal integrated pest management (IPM) by using selective insecticides along with a safe re-introduction technique of the natural enemy after the chemical insecticide treatment. First, chemical insecticides were screened to select the high toxic commercial products against F. occidentalis. Five insecticides containing active components (pyriproxyfen+spinetoram, abamectin, spinosad, acetamiprid, and chlorpyrifos) were selected among 17 commercial products. These five selected insecticides gave different toxic properties to the natural enemy, O. laevigatus. Especially, abamectin and spinetoram gave relatively low toxicity to the natural enemy compared to organophosphate or neonicotinoid. Furthermore, the five selected insecticides were assessed in their residual toxicities against O. laevigatus. Organophosphate and neonicotinoid insecticides showed relatively longer residual toxicity compared to abamectin and spinosads. Indeed, abamectin or spinetoram did not give any significant toxicity to O. laevigatus after 3 days post-treatment. These residual effects were further supported by the assessment of the chemical residue analysis of the insecticides using LC-MS/MS. These results suggest an IPM technology: (1) chemical treatment of abamectin or spinetoram against sporadic outbreaks of F. occidentalis infesting hot pepper and (2) re-introduction of O. laevigatus to the crops after 3 days post-treatment to depress the equilibrium density below an economic injury level.