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 LC50 of 8.491 mg/L. Using the age-stage two-sex life table approach, we assessed the effects of LC25 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 (lambda) and T of F-1 and R-0, r and lambda 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.