Transgenerational hormetic effects of sublethal dose of flupyradifurone on the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Both inhibitory and stimulatory (known as hormesis) effects of the sublethal flupyradifurone, a butenolide insecticide, on Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae) were investigated for incorporating it into integrated pest management (IPM). A leaf-dip bioassay showed that flupyradifurone was very toxic against adult M. persicae with a 48 h LC(50) of 8.491 mg/L. Using the age-stage two-sex life table approach, we assessed the effects of LC(25) of flupyradifurone on adult M. persicae and its progeny (F(1) and F(2)). On the one hand, aphids exposed to flupyradifurone had significantly negative effects on the life history traits acrossing the generations, such as reduced the adult longevity and fecundity of F(0), shortened the duration of third instar and fourth instar nymphs, preadult period and the pre-reproductive period of F(1), and decreased the reproductive days and adult longevity of F(2). On the other hand, stimulatory effects on the duration of pre-adult, adult reproductive days, and reproduction of F(1) were observed in the flupyradifurone-treated aphids. Consistently with the stimulation on individual traits, a higher net reproductive rate (R(0)) of F(1) and a shorter mean generation time (T) of F(2) were observed in the flupyradifurone-treated aphids, although the other population parameters including the intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ) and T of F(1) and R(0), r and λ of F(2) were not significantly affected. These results revealed that adult M. persicae exposed to sublethal concentration of flupyradifurone can induce hormetic effects on F(1,) and also cause negative effects on F(2). Our results would be useful for assessing the overall effects of flupyradifurone on M. persicae and the hormetic effects should take into consideration when use flupyradifurone for control M. persicae.