Evaluating the safety of insecticides on the predatory beetle, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Mulsant)

The mealybugs are soft-bodied sap-sucking insect pests catalogued under the group of scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) with the worldwide distribution of about 2000 species. Here, in the context of conservation of natural enemies, we explored the efficacy on predator. eight insecticides viz imidacloprid (0.005%), acetamiprid (0.02%), clothiniadin (0.003%), bifenthrin (0.05%), fipronil 15% + flonicamid (0.10%), sulfoxaflor (0.075%), spirotetramat (0.12%), buprofezin (0.20%) were tested under laboratory. Study on relative toxicity of different insecticides on larvae and adults of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Mulsant) revealed that treatments of imidacloprid 17.8 SL @ 0.005% and acetamiprid 20 SP @ 0.02% proved toxic to the larvae and adults of C. montrouzieri. Clothiniadin 50% WDG @ 0.003% and bifenthrin 10% EC 0.05% proved to be moderately toxic to larva as well as adult. Fipronil 15% + Flonicamid 15% WDG @ 0.10%, sulfoxaflor 21.8% SC @ 0.075% and spirotetramat 150 OD @ 0.12% were relatively safer insecticides against the grubs and adult of C. montrouzieri with the significantly lowest mortality .Buprofezin 25 SC @ 0.20% show least mortality.