Predaceous insects: effect of adding permethrin to the sticker used in gossyplure applications

Gossyplure has been widely used in commercial treatments to suppress the supperss the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders). Studies have shown that permethrin, added to the sticker used to adhere fibers containing gossyplure (NoMate Attact 'n Kill) to the foliage, increased the effectiveness of the treatment. This study was conducted to determine whether the addition posed a significant threat to predaceous insects, and to compare any effect with that of a conventional insecticide traatment. Plots treated with the combination containing the largest amounts of sticker and permethrin, 1/50 the amount of permethrin conventionally applied, continued to harbor the highest densities of predators after treatment. By comparison, a conventionally applied acephate, trichlorfon, and sulfur mixture assayed in a similar manner produced high mortality of the beneficial insect taxa sampled. The data suggest that the mixture of a small quantity of permethrin into the gossyplure-stick system is not likely to injure populations of predators that control other insects attacking cotton in mid- and late season.