Effects of a formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis on the parasitoid Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) under laboratory conditions.

• Autor(a) principal: SA, L. A. N. de
• Data de Publicação: 1998
• Outros Autores: CAPALBO, D. M. F., NARDO, E. A. B. de, MAIA, A. de H. N.
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da EMBRAPA (Repository Open Access to Scientific Information from EMBRAPA - Alice)
• Texto Completo: http://www.alice.cnptia.embrapa.br/alice/handle/doc/13101
• topic: Non-target organisms; beneficial insects; biological control; biopesticides; parasitism; risk assessment

Assessing the potential environmental effects of biopesticides is an important part of its development and registration process. In Brazil little attention has been given to this approach, but now with the new approved rules for biopesticides registration that issue will be increasingly considered (COSAVE, 1997). Among the potential safety issues related to the use of microorganisms for pest control pathogenicity and toxicity effects on non-target beneficial organisms are the main concern (OECD, 1995; USEPA, 1989; Cook et al, 1996). In addition to that potential hazards there are those posed by microbial contaminants and by sybstances used in the formulation of biopesticides (e.g. stickers, carriers, spreaders, UV protectors) (Burges, 1981). Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki is a biopesticide widely applied to control lepidopteran pests (Navon, 1993). In Brazil it is specially applied in reforestation areas (Zanuncio, 1993), and there are little published information about its safety, and when it exists it is usually of restrict access. Lambert & Peferoen 1992 discussed about the use and mode of action of Bt in pest control, although almost nothing is known about its ecology and its role in nature. They showed the necessity of evaluating the relationship between the pathogens utilized in microbial pest control and their natural enemies; that will be another stage of the research in environmental impact assessment. Trichogramma pretiosum, a beneficial hymenopteran used in large scale for controlling lepidopteran pests in Brazil, is easy to rear in laboratory (Parra, 1996 and 1997) and occurs naturally under field conditions in different crops. Therefore it is a good representative of the agriculturally important wasps family Trichogrammatidae that could be used as a biological indicator of potential hazards of pesticides. This study refers to the evaluation of the effect of a formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk) on the parasitism capacity and adult emergence of the nontarget hymenoptera T. pretiosum. The main goal was to develop and validate protocols for evaluating adverse effects of biopesticides on nontarget egg parasite insects.