The Toxicity Effect of Certain Photosensitizing Compounds on Some Biological Aspects of Field Strain of Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) Larvae

Abd-El-Aziz, Hanan S.; Habit, Amal Th.

doi:10.21608/eajbsf.2021.161394

The Toxicity Effect of Certain Photosensitizing Compounds on Some Biological Aspects of Field Strain of Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) Larvae

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Plant Protection Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

² Institute of Environmental Studies and Research, Ain Shams University

10.21608/eajbsf.2021.161394

Abstract

The black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon larvae is the most serious pest around the world; it attacked the plant in the growing stage of many crops such as cotton, potato, corn, and tomato causing great damage for them and others which led to reduce the yield. So many chemical insecticides are used for controlling this pest which may buildup resistance to these pesticides Therefore, it is needed to evaluate some chemical compounds that belonged to different categories such as safranin, methylene blue and bromophenol blue against the 4^th larval instars of A. ipsilon using poison baits. The results clearly demonstrated that the tested compounds had, a stomach and contact toxicity through the larval feeding on treated baits also, all these toxicants exhibited antifeedant and starvation effects in addition resulting larval paralysis post-feeding. Results on the basis the medium lethal concentrations LC₅₀ of the tested compounds varied on the larval stage, the promising treatment among the investigated compounds were safranin that showed the lowest LC_50, which was more toxic as stomach poison followed by methylene blue and the lowest effect was noticed in case of bromophenol blue treatment. The effect of both LC₅₀ and LC₂₅values of these compounds showed a remarkable significant increase in both larval and pupal durations with retardation in their development as well as an increase in the mortality percentage and the malformation for both the resulting pupae and adults. Also, the toxicants affected the fertility of adults. Therefore, these photosensitizers, compounds can be used for controlling the black cutworm on their hosts as toxic baits’ alternatives to traditional chemical pesticides, for increasing their toxicity and decreasing insect-resistant build up as a method implementing the integrated pest control program.

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