Susceptibility to Insecticides Used for Control of Piezodorus guildinii (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in the United States and Brazil

Limited information exists on the insecticide susceptibility of redbanded stink bug, Piezodorus guildinii (Westwood) (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), despite its impact on soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., production in Brazil and the United States. Therefore, this study set out to 1) determine baseline levels of susceptibility to currently recommended pesticides using topical and vial bioassays, 2) determine the levels of esterase activity in populations in the United States and Brazil, and 3) compare control among products in field trials. In topical bioassays conducted in the United States using technical grade materials, the LC50 values of lambda-cyhalothrin, acephate, and methamidophos were 4–25, 141–295, and 40–151 ng per insect, respectively. The LC50 values of imidacloprid and thiamethoxam were 11 and 27 ng per insect, respectively. In vial bioassays conducted in the United States using technical grade materials, the LC50 values of cypermethrin, acephate, and methamidophos were 0.4–0.9, 3.8, and 1.6 µg per vial, respectively. In topical bioassays conducted in Brazil by using commercially formulated products, the LC50 values of acephate, methamidophos, endosulfan, and imidacloprid were 0.90–1.9, 0.4–0.6, 1.5–6.6, and 0.2–0.3 µg per insect, respectively. In vial bioassays conducted in Brazil using commercially formulated products, the LC50 values of endosulfan, methamidophos, and lambda-cyhalothrin were 4–32 and 2–24 µg/cm2 for thiamethoxam and imidacloprid. Esterase activity in Louisiana (United States) populations ranged from 251 to 658 nmol alpha-naphthol formed/min/mg protein. Esterase activity levels in Londrina (Brazil) populations averaged 163 nmol/min/mg. In field tests, P. guildinii in Louisiana were controlled by organophosphates thiamethoxam and imidacloprid and in Brazil, with combinations of neonicotinoids and pyrethroids.