Determination of effects of some pesticides on whitefly parasitoid, Eretmocerus mundus mercet (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) under laboratory conditions

In this study effects of some pesticides (abamectin, acetamiprid, chlorpyrifos-ethyl, imidacloprid, lambda-cyhalothrin, thiamethoxam and thiodicarb) used in cotton fields on the whitefly parasitoid, Eretmocerus mundus Mercet (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) were determined under laboratory conditions.The pesticides were applied in sort of spraying and dipping methods for the pupal stage of the parasitoid, while for the adult only spraying method was applied. On reference to IOBC classification the obtained results showed that thiodicarb was harmless on pupae and adults of the parasitoid. None of the pesticides applied were found to be harmful in high level either for the pupae or adults. The neonicotinoid pesticide group; acetamiprid, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam were found slightly harmful to the pupal stage and moderately harmful to the adult stage. For the spraying method, the pesticides, abamectin and chlorpyrifos-ethyl were slightly and moderately harmful to the pupae, respectively. On the otherhand, dipping method showed the opposite. The pesticide lambda-cyhalothrin was found more effective than other pesticides when adult female parasitoids released on one day after the application.According to IOBC classification, none of the applied pesticides were found to be highly harmful to the parasitoid. So, in this situation the implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in cotton environment by using E. mundus as biocontrol agent of the cotton whitely, Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae), might be more effective.