Evaluation of the toxicity of translaminar insecticides against the soybean tentiform leafminer (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), a potential new pest of soybean

Macrosaccus morrisella (Fitch) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) is a leaf-mining microlepidopteran native to North America recently reported feeding on soybean in the United States and Canada. Control methods for the management of this pest remain unknown. The insecticides Agri-Mek SC (abamectin) and Endigo ZXC (lambda-cyhalothrin + thiamethoxam) were evaluated for: (i) effects against immature stages of M. morrisella in potted soybean plants; (ii) effects against adults of M. morrisella through different routes of exposure; and (iii) efficacy of field applications against M. morrisella. In the experiment with immature stages, when either insecticide was applied to potted plants with M. morrisella in serpentine or blotch mines, significantly fewer adults emerged compared to the untreated plants. In contrast, adult emergence from potted plants treated with either insecticide when M. morrisella was in tentiform mines did not differ from untreated plants. In the experiment with adults, the survival of M. morrisella exposed to either insecticide through oral exposure or residual contact + oral exposure was significantly lower than that for residual contact exposure alone, which in turn was lower than the untreated control. Within each exposure route, the response to the 2 insecticides did not differ. In the field experiment, at 21 days after insecticide application, the mean percentage of leaf area mined was significantly lower in plots treated with Endigo ZCX compared to plots treated with Agri-Mek SC or those left untreated. These results suggest that Endigo ZXC and to a lesser extent Agri-Mek SC may have potential for management of M. morrisella.