Effect of insecticides on the natural infection of velvetbean caterpillar by Nomuraea rileyi

Abstract

The entomopathogenic fungus Nomuraea rileyi is an important natural biological control agent for Anticarsia gemmatalis Hübner population at the West Central Region, in Brazil. The objective of the current study was to examine the influence of nine insecticides on the natural infection of A. gemmatalis by the entomogenous fungus N. rileyi, during two consecutive years in Senador Canedo, Goiás, Brazil, using the insecticides recommended commercial dosages. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with ten treatments and four replications. The effect of trichlorfon and chlorpyriphos ethyl did not differ from the untreated check. Baculovirus anticarsia, diflubenzuron, endosulfan, methamidophos, monocrothophos, methyl parathion and thiodicarb had similar performance and caused a significant decrease on the percentage of infected larvae.