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The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae(Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is an important pest of several worldwide crops. This study evaluated the effects of plant micronutrients (alpha-iron (Fe), zinc sulfate (Zn), copper sulfate (Cu), and manganese sulfate (Mn)) on digestive enzymes, intermediary metabolism, and antioxidant responses of M. persicae reared on bell pepper plants under greenhouse conditions. Results showed that M. persicae reared on Mn-treated plants had the digestive enzymes α-amylase, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and elastase inhibited. Moreover, the aphids fed on Mn-treated plants showed the highest activities of catalase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase, and lower increase rate of malondialdehyde. These findings indicate that micronutrients can impact the aphid metabolism, which may aid control strategies against this insect pest. We raise the potential for beneficial use of foliar fertilizer application as a pest management tool that could be further evaluated on a production and economical scale, as well as with other insect pests.

Toxic effect of Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum (Link) Ietsw. essential oil was assayed on weeds (Lolium perenne L. Trifolium pratense L. and Trifolium repens L.), potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.) and Myzus persicae Sulz. The GC-MS analysis of the essential oil revealed carvacrol as the main component. The essential oil solutions completely inhibited the seed germination of the target weeds at concentration 2 μL/mL in Petri dishes. In contrast, in soil, this effect was achieved at a concentration of 5 µL/mL for studied dicot and at 10 µL/mL for the monocot species. Total destruction of target weeds at post-emergence stage after spraying with solution of the essential oil in concentrate 10 µL/ mL was found. Mature potato plants were poorly affected by the essential oil. A completely toxic effect on M. persicae was established by applying a solution with a concentration of 3 μL/mL of the essential oil. The experimental data indicate that the essential oil of the species has great potential, as an alternative to synthetic biocides, for the production of eco-friendly formulations for pest control.

Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) is a polyphagous insect that causes huge damage in several horticultural crops, including tomato, by sucking nutrients from the phloem and transmitting viruses. Whiteflies are particularly difficult to manage and the use of chemicals remains the common practice, which causes the development of insecticidal resistance. Thus, there is considerable interest in the introduction of resistance to whitefly by classical and molecular breeding. Here, we explored the concept of using an RNA interference construct to silence a v-ATPase gene in whiteflies interacting with transgenic tomato plants that express siRNA molecules corresponding to a fragment from the B. tabaci vATPase. PCR analyses revealed the presence of both ΔATPase and nptII transgenes in all transgenic lines. siRNA expressing lines were challenged against whitefly and revealed a mortality rate of 57.1% in transgenic line 4.4.1, while in the control the mortality was 7.6%. Mortality of 2nd instar nymphs was higher on the transgenic plants and the development of 3rd instar nymphs was slightly longer than on the control plants. Although the attraction of insects was not significantly different between treatments, the number of eggs laid by the insects on the transgenic plants was significantly lower, compared to the controls. RT-qPCR revealed a decreased expression level of endogenous v-ATPase gene in whiteflies feeding on transgenic plants. No unexpected effect was observed on the non-target insects Myzus persicae or Tuta absoluta. Results presented here may form the foundation for the generation of elite tomato varieties resistant to whitefly, a devastating insect pest. Genetically modified tomato was generated to express a vATPase small interfering RNA. Transgenic plants were tolerant to whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) and revealed no effect on Myzus persicae and Tuta absoluta.

Fumigation of fruits and vegetables during quarantine and pre-shipment (QPS) treatment should be effective with a shorter fumigation time to minimize phytotoxicity. In this research study, a shorter fumigation time, 2 hours exposure which is shorter than that of the current commercial fumigation procedures using a lower dose of ethyl formate (EF) mixed with phosphine (PH3) on strawberry was investigated. The reciprocal effect between EF and PH3 against nymphs and adult Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and Tetranychus urticae (Koch) was evaluated. In addition, L(Ct)50 and L(Ct)99 of EF only and EF mixed with PH3 were analyzed at 5°C and 20°C. The synergistic ratio (SR) of L(Ct)50 and L(Ct)99 for the nymph and adult stages of M. persicae were >1.0, which indicated a synergistic effect between EF and PH3. However, the SR values of L(Ct)50 and L(Ct)99 of the nymph and adult stages of T. urticae were ≤1.0 indicating that there was no synergistic effect between the two fumigants against T. urticae. Our results showed that the reciprocal effect between EF and PH3 has different effects on M. persicae and T. urticae. This could be attributed to the biological and physical differences between the class Arachnida and Insecta. The synergistic effect between EF and PH3 against M. persicae within a shorter exposure period and without phytotoxicity on fruits and vegetables will significantly benefit the horticultural industry.

In recent years, microbial control of insect pests is becoming popular as insect pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and nematodes serve as potential bioagents in pest management. Among the different microbial agents, entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are gaining importance in pest control. They can be easily mass cultured on artificial media without affecting their virulence at a cheaper cost. They are highly species specific with minimal impact on non-target organisms. The current study aimed to study the efficacy of entomopathogenic fungal isolates against aphid, Myzus Persicae (Sulz.) in chilli. Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the pathogenicity of Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae and Lecanicillium lecanii against chilli aphid. From the study it is revealed that B. bassiana @ 108 spores ml-1 were found to be effective and found to be more superior to the other entomopathogenic fungal isolates viz., Metarhizium anisopliae and Lecanicillium lecanii against chilli aphid.

The aim of this work is to analyze the chemical composition of Cymbopogon citratus, Salvia officinalis and Origanum majorana essential oils (EO) and evaluate their repellent effects on economically significant aphid species. The hydrodistillation yields of the plant's aerial parts were 0.45%, 0.32% and 0.25% for O. majorana, S. officinalis and C. citratus respectively. Chemical analysis by GC-MS identified 87.6%, 100% and 97% of C. citratus, S. officinalis and O. majorana chemical composition respectively. S. officinalis EO was mainly composed of α-thujone (25.7%) and camphor (18.4%), while C. citratus EO major compounds were neral (26.4%) and geranial (30.6%). Finally, O. majorana EO was principally constituted of 4-terpineol (38.7%). Then, the repellency potential of these EO was assessed in vitro on Myzus persicae, Aphis gossypii, Aphis spiraecola and Aphis fabae. In vitro bioassays showed that 2 µL of the three EO were insufficiently repellent on all aphid species during the surveyed period. However, at 120 min, 5 µL EO repellencies were variable from repellent to very repellent depending on the EO and aphid species. Interestingly, 5 µL of O. majorana EO were very repellent for M. persicae and A. fabae after 120 min. Furthermore, in vivo repellency bioassays of 5 µL O. majorana EO were carried out for M. persicae and A. fabae. After 120 min, results showed a statistically higher repellency on M. persicae (repellent) compared to A. fabae (moderately repellent). The in vivo RT50 and RT90 of 5 µL O. majorana EO for M. persicae were 54.68 min and 131.26 min respectively, while A. fabae recorded RT50 of 107.93 min and RT90 of 287.24 min. Both in vitro and in vivo bioassays demonstrated that the tested EO repellencies never decreased over the investigated periods. These results suggest that the studied EO can be used as botanical repellents against these aphid species.

Turnip yellows virus (TuYV; family Solemoviridae, genus Polerovirus) is the most widespread and economically damaging virus of canola (Brassica napus L.) production in Australia. However, no Australian commercial seed companies market TuYV-resistant canola cultivars, and little information is available on the susceptibility of those available. To identify potential sources of TuYV resistance, 100 B. napus accessions from the ERANET ASSYST diversity set were screened in the field and five of these were selected for further phenotyping via aphid inoculation. Furthermore, 43 Australian canola cultivars, six B. napus genotypes with previously reported resistance, and 33 B. oleracea and B. rapa cultivars were phenotyped. All Australian cultivars were susceptible except for ‘ATR Stingray’. Stronger resistance to systemic TuYV infection (IR) was identified in diversity set accessions ‘Liraspa-A’, ‘SWU Chinese 3’, and ‘SWU Chinese 5’. As indicated by lower relative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay absorbance values (R-E405) in infected plants, resistance to TuYV accumulation (AR) often accompanied IR. Moderate IR was identified in four B. oleracea cultivars and one B. rapa cultivar. Very strong AR was identified in four B. oleracea cultivars and AR of some degree was common across many cultivars of this species tested. The impact of temperature during the inoculation access period or post-inoculation incubation on the resistance identified was examined. Infection rates were significantly higher in resistant B. napus genotypes when inoculated at 16°C than at 26°C, suggesting an increase in aphid transmission efficiency. IR in B. napus genotypes was strong when incubated at 16°C, but weakened at elevated temperatures with almost total breakdown in most genotypes at 30°C. However, infected plants of B. napus and B. oleracea genotypes with AR maintained lower R-E405 values than susceptible controls at all temperatures tested. Novel sources of resistance identified in this study offer potential as breeding material in Australia and abroad.

Insect CAPA neuropeptides are considered to affect water and ion balance by mediating the physiological metabolism activities of the Malpighian tubules. In previous studies, the CAPA-PK analogue 1895 (2Abf-Suc-FGPRLamide) was reported to decrease aphid fitness when administered through micro-injection or via topical application. However, a further statistically significant decrease in the fitness of aphids and an increased mortality could not be established with pairwise combinations of 1895 with other CAPA analogues. In this study, we assessed the topical application of new combinations of 1895 with five CAPA-PVK analogues on the fitness of aphids. We found that 1895 and CAPA-PVK analogue 2315 (ASG-[β3 L]-VAFPRVamide) was statistically the most effective combination to control the peach potato aphid Myzus persicae nymphs via topical application, leading to 72% mortality. Additionally, the combination (1895+2315) was evaluated against a selection of beneficial insects, i.e. a pollinator (Bombus terrestris) and three natural enemies (Chrysoperla carnea, Nasonia vitripennis and Adalia bipunctata). We found no significant influence on food intake, weight increase and survival for the pollinator and the three representative natural enemies. These results could facilitate to further establish, and generate CAPA analogues as alternatives to broad spectrum and less friendly insecticides. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Damage potential of green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), on sweet pepper, Capsicum annuum Linnaeus, under protected environment was assessed by artificially releasing different aphid densities (1, 2, 4 and 8 aphids/ plant) at 30 and 60-days after transplanting coinciding with vegetative and flowering/ fruiting crop growth stage. Aphids were restricted to feed for 30 days (limited exposure duration) as well as throughout crop growth stage (unlimited exposure duration). Myzus persicae infestation exhibited varying levels of stunting effects on plant growth. Aphid infestation also reduced marketable yield, being more pronounced at higher infestation levels of 4 and 8 aphids. Infestation initiated in vegetative stage resulted in lower yield as compared to the infestation initiated in later growth stages. Loss in marketable yield varied from 31.49 to 76.20 and 30.63 to 100 per cent in summer and autumn season crops, respectively. Relationship deduced between reduction in yield and cumulative aphid days (CADs) under unlimited exposure duration depicted per unit increase in CADs to reduce marketable fruit yield to the extent of 0.01 and 0.027 g for the infestation initiated in vegetative and later growth stages, respectively. Corresponding reduction in fruit yield on the basis of initial aphid infestation levels (AILs) was 165.3 and 129.9 g/ plant/ aphid level. Economic injury level of M. persicae worked out for the infestation initiated in vegetative and flowering/ fruiting stage to be 3862 and 1464 CADs whereas on the basis of AILs it was 0.25 and 0.31 aphids/ plant for the infestation initiated in corresponding crop stages.

This study was carried out to study the effect of the insect infestation by The Green Peach Aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and The Greenhouse Whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood)(Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) on the quantity of the annual production of the strawberry crop, Fragaria ananassa (L.). This study was carried out at Tokh region (Qaliobya Governorate) during two successive seasons 2020, 2021 under glasshouse conditions. This study was divided into three parts, first part studied the population fluctuation of M. persicae andT. vaporariorum on strawberry plants during the two successive seasons, second part studied the effect of insect infestation by the two insects on the quantity of the annual production of strawberry fruits at the two successive seasons compared to control (which did not infest with any insect) and third part studied the effect of insect infestation by the two insects on the internal components of strawberry fruits. Results obtained showed that the infestation by M. persicae andT. vaporariorum reduced the quantity of annual production of strawberry fruits compared to control (which was non-infested by the same insects). Also, results obtained showed that the infestation bythesame insects reduced both total sugar and total protein on strawberry fruitscompared to control.

Myzus persicae (Hemiptera:Aphididae) bitkisel üretimde önemli ekonomik kayıplara sebep olan bir zararlıdır. Arazi koşullarında insektisitlerin önerilen tarla uygulama dozlarının altındaki sublethal dozlarının uygulanması sonucunda zararlı biyolojisinde farklı etkilere yol açtığı bilinmektedir. Bu çalışmada iklim odasında kültürü devam ettirilen Myzus persicae popülasyonunda tau-fluvalinate'nin önerilen tarla uygulama dozu üzerinden LC50 denemesi yapılmıştır. Toksisite çalışması sonucunda belirlenen LC20, LC30 ve LC40 değerleri yaşam çizelgesi çalışmalarında kullanılmıştır. Yaşam çizelgesi çalışmaları 1 kontrol ve 3 sublethaldoz (LC20, LC30 ve LC40) ve her grupta 25 tekerrür olacak şekilde kurulmuştur. Kontrol grubunun ilaçlamasında ise saf su kullanılmıştır. Petri içerisine bırakılan yaprak biti ilk dönem nimfi ergin hale geldikten sonra ovipozisyon süreleri ve bıraktıkları yavru sayıları her gün yapılan kontrollerle kaydedilmiştir. Gözlemler kontrol grubundaki tüm yaprak biti erginleri ölene kadar devam etmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda tau-fluvalinate'ninsublethal dozları için Myzus persicae'de pre-ovipozisyon, ovipozisyon, post-ovipozisyon süreleri, dişi başına toplam yavrulama sayısı, ergin ömrü, net üreme gücü (R0), popülasyonun ikiye katlanma süresi (DT), üreme gücü sınırı (λ), kalıtsal üreme yeteneği (rm) ve ortalama döl süresi (T)değerlerinde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık bulunmamıştır.

Extracts from the brown seaweed, Ascophyllum nodosum (ANE), are extensively used as plant biostimulants. Ascophyllum nodosum extracts, as applied to plants, impart resistance/tolerance against various abiotic and biotic stresses due to the presence of multiple biological primers and elicitors. However, little information is available on the effects of ANE on insect pests of crops. Green peach aphid (GPA), Myzus persicae, is an important insect pest and used as an insect model to study insect-plant interactions. In this study, Arabidopsis thaliana was used as a model plant to determine whether application of an ANE conferred any protection from a GPA infestation. Plants treated with ANE had a 13% greater GPA population than the inorganic-treated control. Feeding preference of GPA was not influenced by ANE treatment when the insect was given a choice between the ANE-treated and control plants. Higher plant biomass was observed in ANE treatments with a GPA infestation, as compared to the control. Plants treated with ANE demonstrated better recovery from GPA infestation, as shown by a higher seed yield. Apart from higher GPA numbers, ANE-treated plants exhibited reduced plant tissue damage around the feeding area. Lower expressions of SAG13 and SAG 21 genes indicated that ANE-treated plants delayed their senescence in Arabidopsis. We concluded that treatment of ANE conferred protection from the GPA biotic pressure, while delaying senescence in treated Arabidopsis. Increased GPA numbers, on treated plants could be, in part, associated with delayed senescence of Arabidopsis plants following ANE application.

Tomato aphid (Myzus persicae) is a destructive insect pest of tomato responsible for huge losses in the production as well in the vegetable industry. In the present in vitro study two protein elicitors, PeaT1 and PeBL1 were considered to study their efficacies to exhibit defense response against tomato aphid. Three different concentrations of both protein elicitors were applied on the tomato seedlings. After the application of PeaT1 and PeBL1, population growth rates of tomato aphid were decreased as compared to the control treatment. In host preference assay, the tomato aphid showed a preference to build a colony on the control as compared to the treated tomato plant, because tomato leaves provided hazardous surface for aphid after the formation of wax and trichome. The concentrations of protein showed significant (p

The study aimed to investigate the effect of different densities of M.persicae and T. tabaci on the predatory ability of the predator O. albidipennis and determine the preference for one of the two prey, in addition to assessing the in vitro predator's efficiency in reducing the number of aphids on the carrot plant. The results indicated that the rates of predated adult and nymph thrips were significantly higher than that of predated aphids. The highest rate of predation for nymphs and adults thrips was 33.2 and 25 preys per day, respectively, at a density of 60prey/container, while the highest rate of predation of adults and nymphs of aphids was 19 and 13.2prey/day, respectively, at a density of 60prey/container. The food preference experiment showed that the adults of the predator O. albidipennis feed on the immature stages thrips and aphids when introduced together and have no clear preference for one of the prey. The results of evaluating the efficiency of predator adults on reducing different densities of aphids showed that the predator was effectively able to reduce the population increase of aphids when the insect densities were 10, 20 or 30 insect. however, the predator was not effective when introduced to aphids at starting density of 40, no significant difference was found due to predator presence or absence as the aphids population density were 118.4 and 135.2 insects/cage after four days, respectively.

The peach aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and cotton aphid Aphis gossypii (Clover) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are considered to be key pests affecting greenhouse pepper crops in Argentina as a result of their frequent occurrence and the seriousness of the damage caused by their feeding behavior and the transmission of virus. The goal of this research was to determine the efficiency of botanical products to control aphids and their side effects on parasitoids in this crop. Thus, three biorational pest control formulations derived from essential oils (EO) and plant extracts (Es) were tested, namely (i) neem EO, cinnamon EO, clove EO, oregano EO and American marigold EO (formulation 1); (ii) garlic EO and cinnamon EO (formulation 2); (iii) garlic E and rue E (formulation 3); and a soy lecithin adjuvant (lecithin), and finally, a control (water spray method). For this research, a completely randomized design was replicated 3 times. These treatments were applied directly to the foliage by means of a backpack sprayer on a weekly basis until the end of this trial. Subsequently, the total number of healthy aphids and parasitized aphids (mummies) on every leaf was recorded in the field and the laboratory through repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and LSD Fisher method. The results showed that formulation 1 and formulation 3 recorded a lower number of aphids and mummies compared to the other treatments. This evidence would demonstrate that these formulations repel aphids and parasitoids without the lethal effects caused by the use of broad spectrum insecticides. Los pulgones del duraznero Myzus persicae y del algodonero Aphis gossypii (Hemiptera; Aphidiae) son plagas claves en el cultivo de pimiento protegido en Argentina debido a su frecuente aparición y la magnitud de los daños ocasionados por la alimentación y la transmisión de virus. El objetivo del trabajo fue determinar la eficacia de productos botánicos para controlar esta plaga y sus efectos secundarios en parasitoides en este cultivo. Para ello, fueron evaluados tres formulados de origen botánico para control de plagas derivados de aceites esenciales (AEs) y extractos vegetales (Es), a saber: (i) aceite esencial (AE) de neem, AE canela, AE clavo de olor y combinaciones: AE orégano y AE de copete (formulado 1); (ii) AE de ajo y AE de canela (formulado 2); (iii) extracto (E) de ajo y E de ruda (formulado 3); una coadyuvante lecitina de soja (lecitina) y, una pulverización con agua (control). Para este estudio se efectuó un diseño totalmente aleatorizado con tres repeticiones.Los tratamientos fueron aplicados directamente sobre el follaje con mochila manualsemanalmente hasta concluir el estudio. Posteriormente, se evaluó el número de pulgones sanos y parasitados (momias) por hoja en campo y laboratorio mediante un Análisis de Varianza (ANOVA) de medidas repetidas y test LSD Fischer. Estos resultados mostraron que los formulados 1 y 3 registraron un menor número de pulgones y momias comparados con los restantes tratamientos. Esta evidencia indicaría que estos formulados repelen pulgones y parasitoides, sin generar la letalidad que producen los insecticidas de amplio espectro. EEA Concordia Fil: Castresana, Jorge Eduardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Concordia; Argentina Fil: Puhl, Laura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Cátedra de Modelos Cuantitativos Aplicados; Argentina

Aphids are one of the major agricultural pests in the world. Their pest management in pepper greenhouses is based on integrated control with release of natural enemies and pesticide treatments used in specific conditions. Essential oils may be used as an eco-friendly alternative for the control of this pest. In this work, we study the repellent effect of essential oils and pure compounds against aphids by two-choice bioassays. (E)-anethole, geraniol, farnesol, and (Z)-jasmone were the most repellent compounds for Myzus persicae and Macrosiphum euphorbiae (RD50 = 0.011 − 0.086 µl/cm2). Farnesol at dose of 10 µL attracts natural enemies of aphids, Aphidius colemani adults and Sphaerophoria rueppellii larvae, in y-tube olfactometer bioassays. A residual toxicity bioassay, using a computer-controlled spraying apparatus, showed a slight toxicity (

This study was performed to investigate the age-dependent functional response of Aphidius matricariae Haliday (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) at varying densities of tobacco aphid, Myzus persicae nicotianae Blackman (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Six densities (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64 numbers) of third instar nymphs of M. persicae nicotianae were daily exposed to one pair of 1-day-old A. matricariae until the parasitoid female died. Each host aphid density was replicated 10 times. The experiments were conducted at constant environmental conditions (25 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 5% RH and 16:8h L:D photoperiod). The logistic regression model demonstrated that the functional response of A. matricariae was type III in the second day and type II in the first day and from third to the end of adult parasitoid lifetime. The handling time (Th) was lowest in the first day (0.2305 h) and highest in the sixth day (2.9296 h) of the parasitoid’s life. The searching efficiency (a) values were 0.0573, 0.0649, 0.0503, 0.0229, and 0.0077 h−1 in the first, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth days of the parasitoid’s life, respectively. Also, the b value for type III functional response was 0.0147 in the second day. The values of maximum attack rate (T/Th) ranged from 104.12 nymphs/24 h in the first day to 19.8 nymphs/24 h in the sixth day of parasitoid’s life. Based on the results, A. matricariae showed a high potential to control the population of tobacco aphid and the highest efficiency gained in the first half of the female parasitoid life.

This study was carried out to evaluate the management of Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) which infesting strawberry plants Fragaria ananassa (L.) by releasing different levels of the seven spotted lady beetle, Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). This study was carried out under glasshouse conditions at two locations (Governorates), Nobariya (Behera governorate) and Perkash (Giza governorate) during season 2019/2020. The seven spotted lady beetle, C. septempunctata was released for one time at the beginning of February on strawberryplants at the two locations at rates of 30, 60 and 90 eggs/plant. In the first level of release (30 eggs/plant), at Behera Governorate the reduction percentages in the population of M. persicae increased gradually whereas it was 21.0, 31.0, 41.0, 44.0 and 50.0% in mid-February, first-March, mid-March, first-April and mid-April, respectively. The same trend was achieved at Giza Governorate. Also, in the second level of release (60 eggs/plant), at Behera Governorate the reduction percentages in the population of M. persicae increased gradually whereas it was 27.0, 33.0, 44.0, 48.0 and 55.0% in mid-February, first-March, mid-March, first-April and mid-April, respectively. The same trend was achieved at Giza Governorate. Lastly, at the third level of release (90 eggs/plant), at Behera Governorate the reduction percentages in the population of M. persicae increased gradually whereas it was 29.0, 37.0, 41.0, 49.0 and 52.0% in mid-February, first-March, mid-March, first-April and mid-April, respectively. In addition, the same trend was achieved at Giza Governorate.

Field trials were conducted to study the dominant piercing-sucking insect species infesting potato plants in Dakahlia Governorate. The obtained results indicated that there were six piercing-sucking insects attacking potato plants and the dominant piercing-sucking insects were Myzus persicae (Sulker); Aphis gossypii Glover; Empouasca descipiens Polai. and Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) during the two years of study. Data cleared that M. persicae and A. gossypii had one peak in each potato plantation and E. descipiens recorded two peaks in summer plantation, in the meanwhile three peaks in winter plantation during the two years of investigation. B. tabaci had three peaks in summer and winter plantation during the period of study. The obtained results revealed that there were four predators belonging to Family Coccinellidae namely: Hippodamia trideciapunctata L., Coccinella undecimpunctata L., Chilomenes propinqua isis (Mulsant) and Chilomenes propinqua nilotica(Mulsant), and one predator from family Chrysopidae, namely Chrysoperla carnea (Steph.) was recorded. It can be stated that most dominant species were H. tridecimpunctata and C. undecimpunctata.

Background Efficacy of new isolates of the entomopathogenic fungus (EPF), Clonostachys rosea, against adult stage of the most serious coleopteran stored product insect pests in Iraq, Trogoderma granarium Everts (Coleoptera: Dermestidae), Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) and Callosobruchus maculatus Fabricius (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), was evaluated under laboratory conditions. Two isolates of C. rosea, associated with the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae Sulz.), were isolated and investigated. Efficacy of C. rosea isolates was evaluated by two concentrations (1 × 108 and 1 × 106 conidia ml−1). Results Corrected mortality rates caused by both C. rosea isolates, 6 days post-treatment, with 1 × 108 conidia ml−1, ranged from 70.7 to 75.7%. Fungal infection caused 37–53% reduction in total fecundity of the adult females of the three tested insect species, 6 days post-treatment. Conclusion Obtained results demonstrated that C. rosea isolates had potentials as a biological control agent against coleopteran stored product insect pests. However, further studies under commercial storage conditions are required.

Green peach aphid (Myzus persicae Sulzer (Aphididae: Hemiptera)) is a polyphagous pest that causes economic losses in the tobacco. In addition to general aphid damage, it is a vector for important viral diseases in tobacco. Fertilization methods, which are used to increased soil fertility, in the plant growing phase, contribute significantly to the optimal physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil, which allows the plants grown in that soil to be more resistant to diseases and pests. Therefore, in this study, the effects of liquid vermicompost and synthetic fertilizer applications on the development and biological parameters of green peach aphids were investigated in comparison with the control. The experiments were carried out under controlled climate chambers. Life table parameters were obtained using the data obtained for the development and reproduction of the aphids. In the study, while there was no statistically significant difference between population parameters, both treatments were found to suppress the pest populations compared to the control application. This application can be used as an ecological control method for the pest.

Green peach aphid (GPA), Myzus persicae, is a major pest of most horticulture crops. Chitosan-based pest management emerges as an alternative to pesticides due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability properties. Population growth and electrical penetration graph (EPG)-based feeding behavior studies were conducted to assess the effect of chitosan application on caisim against GPA at three concentrations (0.1%, 0.5%, and 1%) including two controls of water and acetic acid. Evident GPA population growth reduction was observed in the chitosan-treated caisim. The effect of chitosan was further monitored by 10 h of EPG recording, which revealed a significant increase in probing activities due to frequent stylet withdrawal that generated high levels of short probing activities. Additionally, inter- and intracellular stylet punctures (waveform C and potential drop-Pd, respectively) displayed a significant increase. However, once the stylet reached the phloem tissue, GPA under chitosan treatment and water control can access the phloem tissue equally, either in terms of the number and duration. Therefore, we suggest that the reduced population growth due to chitosan treatment was related to extra energy consumption during frequent stylet withdrawal and intracellular puncture. This finding indicates the role of chitosan as a plant defense elicitor. However, further investigation regarding this topic is required.

The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is an economically important cosmopolitan crop pest. Essential oils (EOs) are complex mixtures of secondary metabolites that exhibit a wide range of biological activities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activities. Monoterpenes, as the major constituents of EOs, are well known for having a range of biological activities. In this study, 9 monoterpenes were screened for fumigant toxicity against M. persicae, and the safety of monoterpenes to natural enemies was evaluated. The results of the bioassays indicated that 9 monoterpenes showed promising fumigant toxicity against M. persicae. Carvacrol was the most toxic compound based on the LC50 value, which was 1.566 mg/L, followed by bornyl acetate, terpinolene, and terpinyl acetate, which had higher toxicities towards aphids, with LC50 values of 2.648 mg/L, 2.759 mg/L, and 2.832 mg/L, respectively. In addition, the safety evaluation assays of carvacrol against Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) larvae (LC50 = 43.851 mg/L) did not affect nontarget invertebrates at concentrations that effectively controlled aphids. Carvacrol was safer than chlorpyrifos to natural enemy H. axyridis larvae (toxicity ratio = 28.00 > 2.93). These results identified several high-activity monoterpenes that can be used against this pest in greenhouses as botanical insecticides.

The tritrophic interactions among plant virus, host plants, and insect vectors directly influence the natural ecosystem, which, in turn, has tremendous practical implications in the sustainable pest control strategies. Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), transmitted by aphids in a non-persistent manner, causes severe damage in diverse crops worldwide. There is a wealth of information on the initial round of interactions within this tritrophic system. However, knowledge on the subsequent round of interactions is very limited. In this research, we focused on their interactions among Nicotiana tabacum cv. Samsum plants, CMV, and green peach aphids, Myzus persicae specifically after the initial round of aphid feeding on CMV-infected plants. Our results show that initial aphid feeding on CMV-infected plants reduces the fitness of the subsequent aphids. The reproduction capacity, longevity, and survival rate of M. persicae are reduced on CMV-infected plants, previously foraged by M. persicae. Furthermore, the initial aphid feeding on CMV-infected plants induce gene expression involved in the salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathway and suppresses the expression of downstream genes associated with jasmonic acid (JA) signaling pathway. Besides, plant chlorophyll content and nitrogen source are reduced on those CMV-infected plants, previously foraged by aphids. The negative impacts on the fitness and performance of the subsequent aphids may have significant implications in virus transmission, distribution, and epidemiology.

Conservation biological control could be an alternative to insecticides for the management of the aphid Myzus persicae (Sulzer). To develop sustainable strategies for M. persicae control in peach orchards in the Mediterranean, a 2-yr field experiment was conducted to identify the key predators of the aphid; to determine whether the proximity of insectary plants boost natural enemies of M. persicae in comparison to the resident vegetation; and whether selected insectary plants enhance natural enemy populations in the margins of peach orchards. Aphidoletes aphidimyza Rondani (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) and Episyrphus balteatus De Geer (Diptera: Syrphidae) were the most abundant predators found among sentinel aphid colonies, accounting for 57% and 26%, respectively. Samplings during 2015 yielded twice as many hoverflies in M. persicae sentinel plants close to the insectary plants as those close to the resident vegetation. The abundance of other natural enemies in sentinel plants, depending on their proximity to the insectary plants, was not significantly different in either of the 2 yr. Hoverflies hovered more often over the insectary plants than over the resident vegetation and landed significantly more often on Lobularia maritima (L.) Desv., Moricandia arvensis (L.) DC., and Sinapis alba L. (Brassicales: Brassicaceae) than on Achillea millefollium L. (Asterales: Compositae). Parasitoids were significantly more abundant in L. maritima and A. millefollium. The vicinity of selected insectary plants to peach orchards could improve the presence of hoverflies, which might benefit the biological control of M. persicae.

Background It has been suggested that entomopathogenic fungi can be introduced into plants as endophytes potentially leading to insect control. Here, we sought to identify specific strains of the insect pathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana that would form endophytic associations with tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) benefitting host plant growth and/or resistance against insect pests and pathogens. Results Tobacco seeds were inoculated with six different B. bassiana strains and entophytic colonization, plant growth, and resistance to pathogens and insect pests were evaluated over a 50 day-period. Although all the strains could colonize seedlings, 90% seedling colonization was seen for four strains. Fungal cells could be detected in stems more readily than in leaf and root tissues. Colonization by B. bassiana boosted plant growth with an increased photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content, and stomatal and trichome density seen in fungal treated plants. Tobacco seedlings colonized by specific B. bassiana strains displayed significantly increased tolerance/resistance against bacterial and fungal pathogens. B. bassiana-colonized seedlings also displayed higher resistance to aphids (Myzus persicae) as compared to untreated controls. Colonization by B. bassiana was shown to trigger both of the salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonate acid (JA) defense pathways, but SA pathway was upregulated much more than JA pathway for some of the tested strains. Conclusion Specific strains of B. bassiana can be introduced into host plants as endophytes, resulting in promotion of host plant growth, increased resistance to microbial pathogens, and/or increased resistance to insect pests. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

We investigated the susceptibility of five cabbage varieties (‘Oxylus’, ‘Super Cross’, ‘Vantar F1 Hybrid’, ‘Santa’F1 and ‘Fortune’) to aphids. Trials were set up in the Accra plains for two rainy seasons in 2017. The first trial examined aphids’ infestation and the second included weekly blanket spray of neem oil at 0.48 L/ha (60ml/15L water) during the second rainy season. Five systematically sampled cabbage leaves per plot were examined for the numbers of aphids and associated natural enemies (predators). Symptoms of aphid attack (incidence and severity of infestation) were also recorded. Lipaphis erysimi pseudobrassicae (Davis) and Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) were the two aphid species observed and their numbers differed significantly between varieties in both seasons during the first but not the second trial. Few aphids settled on ‘Oxylus’, while more occurred on ‘Fortune’. L. e. pseudobrassicae was the most abundant aphid on all the varieties. Aphid numbers were significantly decreased by neem application. Occurrence of natural enemies did not differ significantly between varieties, except for spiders during the major rainy season. There was no significant difference in aphid infestation between varieties during the first season as all of them completely succumbed to the infestation, while in the second season aphid incidence and severity of infestation was highest on ‘Fortune’, with ‘Oxylus’ being the least attacked by aphids. The crop yield was zero during the first season without protection for all the varieties. However, in the second season, lower yields (0.19-3.66 t/ha) was obtained with cabbage without protection, and much higher yields (14.8-21.1 t/ha) were obtained on neem-treated plots.

This study was carried out to study the effect of treated strawberry plants, Fragaria ananassa (L.) by Triacontanol Hormone (TRIA) "three concentrations" on the infestation by Myzus persicae (Sulzer) under glasshouse conditions. Experiments were done in two locations (Governorates), Nobariya (Behera Governorate) and Perkash (Giza Governorate) during season 2019/2020. Three treatments (concentrations) of Triacontanol Hormone were done in both two locations, small concentration (35ppm), medium concentration (50ppm) and high concentration (65ppm), besides the fourth treatment which did not treat with any hormone (control). Strawberry plants were treated with small concentration of (TRIA) (35ppm) were lower infestation by M. persicae comparing to control. While strawberry plants which treated with medium concentration of (TRIA) (50ppm) had no clear effect on the infestation by M. persicae comparing to control. On the other hand, strawberry plants which treated with high concentration of (TRIA) (65ppm) were higher infestation by the same insect comparing to control.

Implementing a predator-mediated pathogen dissemination system can meet the goal of simultaneous biocontrol of harmful mites and other pests. But for the system to be effective, it must satisfy the requirement of high lethality of the pathogen to the target pest(s) with low lethality to predatory mites in a suitable environment. Prior testing showed that the fungal entomopathogen Isaria fumosorosea (Wize) Brown & Smith exhibited high toxicity to aphids yet low toxicity to the predatory mite Neoseiulus cucumeris (Oudemans). In practical application, the humidity conditions of conidia carried by predatory mites to plants are not necessarily constant. Therefore, we set two different humidity conditions to observe the changes of spore attachment quantity and the differences of germination and infection between predatory mites and aphids after their bodies were stained with spores. Under 50±1% relative humidity (RH), predatory mites cleaned most spores in a short time; 24 hours after dusting, the number of spores (mean ± SD) on body was (0.64±0.10)×103, just (4.43±0.35)% of that at 0h, but spores on aphids were kept (16.58±1.48)% ((6.46±0.91)×103 spores) of that at beginning. There was a significant difference in the percentage of spores retained on aphids and predatory mites (p=0.000

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Drought-related changes in plant chemical composition affect plant resistance to insect herbivores. Ethiopian mustard (Gomenzer) Brassica carinata (A) Braun var. Yellow Dodolla was grown under three different water treatments; drought-stressed, well-watered and water-logged conditions to evaluate glucosinolate content and performance of two aphid species, the generalist Myzus persicae (Sulzer) and specialist Brevicoryne brassicae (L.). The analysis of High Performance Liquid Chromatography showed that water stress altered the levels of glucosinolates in (B) carinata plants. Plants cultivated under water-logged showed significantly higher glucosinolate content (2.236 µmol/g) when compared to well-watered (1.307 µmol/g) plants, whereas plants grown under drought-stressed (0.773 µmol/g) showed significantly reduced glucosinolate content after two week stress. B. carinata plants grown under water-logged condition had significantly higher sugar level (785.8 µg/g) followed by well-watered (667.6 µg/g) and drought-stressed (637.9 µg/g) plants after two week stress. Both aphid species reacted differently to water stress-induced change in the host plants. Significantly higher number of B. brassicae was recorded on plants grown under drought-stressed (395 aphids) plants than well-watered (278 aphids) and water-logged plants (179 aphids). Populations of M. persicae were significantly larger on plants grown under water-logged (558 aphids) and followed by well-watered (329 aphids) and drought-stressed plants (193 aphids). Feeding by both aphid B. brassicae and M. persicae increased significantly the level of glucosinolates in B. carinata plants. B. brassicae induced higher amount of glucosinolate content (3.85 µmol/g) when feeding on drought-stressed plants whereas M. persicae induced higher glucosinolate content (3.55 µmol/g) on water-logged plants. Water stressed B. carinata plants resulted to lower glucosinolate content and higher aphid population.

Background Laboratory bioassays using treated leaf disks of peach were conducted to determine the efficacy of nine insecticides against the green peach aphid (GPA), Myzus persicae (Sulzer). The effects of these insecticides on aphid feeding behaviors and rates of transmission of Turnip mosaic virus (TuMV) to potted rutabaga plants were also determined. Results Median lethal concentration (LC50 ) values after 48 h feeding varied considerably, ranging from lows of 1.5 and 4.6 μg a.i./L for sulfoxaflor and λ-cyhalothrin, respectively, to 97.2 and 167.9 μg a.i./L for flonicamid and spirotetramat. LC50 values were lowest and roughly equivalent for λ-cyhalothrin (1.2) acetamiprid (2.1), sulfoxaflor (0.23) and flupyradifurone (2.3) after 72 h feeding. Electrical penetration graph (EPG) recordings showed modest effects on feeding behaviors for certain insecticides, with sulfoxaflor, spirotetramat, and acetamiprid non-significant reduction in feeding duration and number of pathway and potential drop phases occurring during the first 5 min compared with the control. However, greenhouse experiments carried out to investigate the effect of these insecticides on rates of transmission of TuMV, which is transmitted non-persistently by GPA, resulted in only modest non-significant reductions in infection rates for acetamiprid, pymetrozine, λ-cyhalothrin, and flonicamid of 27%, 23%, 20%, and 17%, respectively. Conclusion All test materials were efficacious to GPA at differing levels, and some such as sulfoxaflor and acetamiprid non-significantly reduced the duration and number of pathways and potential drop phases of feeding within the first 5 min. None, however, resulted in significant reductions in rates of transmission of TuMV. © 2020 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada. Pest Management Science © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

The present experiments were conducted in a private cucumber field in Ibshwai, Fayoum governorate during the two successive years (2018 and 2019) to evaluate the influence of sowing dates on the aphid species that attacking cucumber crop in Fayoum governorate. The cotton aphid Aphis gossypii reached the highest peak of abundance in March sowing date in the fourth week of April 2018 (916 individuals/sample) and in the first week of May 2019 (1083 individuals/sample). While, in August sowing date, A. gossypii reached the highest peak of abundance in the fourth week of October 2018 and 2019 with 671 and 783 individuals/sample, respectively. Moreover, in October sowing date, A. gossypii reached the highest peak of abundance in the second week of November 2018 and in the third week of November 2019 and represented by 934 and 1214 individuals/sample, during the two years, respectively. The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae recorded the highest peak of abundance in March sowing date in the second week of April 2018 (317 individuals/sample) and in the fourth week of April 2019 (324 individuals/sample). While in August sowing date M. persicae recorded the highest peak of abundance in the second week of October 2018 and in the fourth week of September 2019 and presented by 428 and 302 individuals/sample, respectively. Meanwhile, in October sowing date, M. persicae recorded the highest peak of abundance in the second week of November 2018 and 2019 and presented by 183 and 124 individuals/sample, respectively.

Considering the need for reduction in insecticide use, we studied the potential for antibiosis and the potential for antixenosis in seven highly yielding winter Brassica napus L. cultivars against Myzus persicae (Sulz.). We found evidence for antixenosis, i.e., disruption in probing in non-phloem tissues and a failure in reaching sieve elements in cultivar ‘Alister’. We found evidence for antibiosis, i.e., reduced ability of the plant to serve as a host, in cultivar ‘Florida’. On ‘Alister’ and ‘Florida’, net reproduction and reproductive period duration of M. persicae were the lowest of all studied cultivars. ‘Adriana’, ‘Andromeda’, ‘Gladius’, and ‘Kolumb’ are intermediately susceptible to M. persicae infestation with medium values of net reproduction and reproduction period duration, and slight disturbances in aphid probing and feeding. ‘Artoga’ is highly susceptible. On ‘Artoga’, reproduction period was the longest, daily fecundity and net reproduction of M. persicae were highest, and probing and feeding behaviors were unaltered. Glucoallysin, glucobrassicanapin, gluconapin, gluconapoliferin, progoitrin, glucobrassicin, and 4-OH-glucobrassicin occurred in the leaves of all rapeseed cultivars in similar quantities and proportions and did not affect aphid performance and phloem sap ingestion by M. persicae.

Aphelinus asychis has been used to control various species of aphids. Temperature is a crucial abiotic factor for the development and reproduction of insects. This study examined the influence of different constant temperatures (20, 25 and 30 °C) on the longevity, net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rate of increase (r), net killing rate (Z0) and finite killing rate (θ) of A. asychis parasitizing the cabbage pest Myzus persicae, and compared its control efficiency. The results showed that increasing temperature decreased the longevity of A. asychis significantly. The value of r was significantly higher at 30 °C than at 25 and 20o C. Similarly, θ was significantly higher at 30 °C (0.7163 aphids) than at 25 (0.5654 aphids) and 20o C (0.3522 aphids). Aphelinus asychis could produce progeny successfully within the range of 20-30 °C and its control efficiency was higher at high temperatures than at low temperatures. We discuss the implications of these results for the application of this parasitoid for the biological control of the cabbage aphid in greenhouse and field conditions.

Bacterial microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs) play an important role in innate plant immunity. This in vitro study evaluated the putative role of protein elicitor PeBA1 derived from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens NC6 strain in eliciting induced resistance type responses in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) plants against green peach aphid Myzus persicae. Nymphal developmental time of aphids was significantly prolonged and the fecundity was significantly reduced by different concentrations of PeBA1 elicitor (i.e. 40.51, 24.91 and 16.38 µg mL-1) applied at three different temperature regimes (i.e. 21, 27 and 30 °C). Moreover, foliar application of PeBA1 elicitor protein strongly up-regulated the expression levels of salicylic acid (SA) pathway-associated genes, while the expression levels of jasmonic acid (JA) pathway-associated genes exhibited a moderate induction. Quantification by LC/MSMS revealed a linear increase of both SA and JA plant defense hormones along with the time of exposure. Our findings suggest that the bacterial elicitor protein PeBA1 could be used as an effective biological pest management tool against phloem-feeding insect pests such as green peach aphids M. persicae.

Symptoms of severe stunting, little leaf, yellowing and axillary shoot proliferation were recorded on chickpea plants in three northern states of India (New Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan) during January–March, 2017–2018 with disease incidences of 6–56%. Nested PCR assays with phytoplasma-specific universal primer pairs (P1/P7 and 3Far/3Rev) and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis confirmed the association of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma trifolii’ in the symptomatic chickpea variety Pusa Bheema at New Delhi. The in silico RFLP and phylogeny analyses of 16S rRNA sequence of the chickpea stunt (CpS) affected samples confirmed the association of 16SrVI-D subgroup phytoplasma. Similar phytoplasma strain (16SrVI-D subgroup) was detected in the leafhopper species, Hishimonus phycitis collected from symptomatic chickpea fields at New Delhi. Association of icosahedral virus particles of ~25–30 nm diameters were seen under electron microscope in CpS affected samples as well as in the aphids, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) collected from the symptomatic CpS samples at New Delhi. Both the plant and aphid samples were tested positive with the polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in DAS-ELISA and ISEM tests. PCR assays using coat protein (CP) gene specific primers for CMV and the resultant sequence comparison also confirmed the association of CMV with the CpS affected symptomatic chickpea plants and M. persicae. The CpS affected samples collected from all the three states were further tested positive with chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus (chickpea chlorotic dwarf virus, CpCDV) CP gene specific primers in PCR assays. The 2.7 kb DNA sequence resulted from the rolling circle amplification (RCA) from the CpS affected chickpea samples of New Delhi revealed a highest sequence similarity of 99% with the CpCDV isolate from Pakistan. These results suggested a wider occurrence of CpCDV in chickpea crops in all the three states and a mixed infection of phytoplasma [‘Ca. P. trifolii’ (16SrVI-D subgroup)] and two plant viruses (CMV and CpCDV) associated with CpS disease at New Delhi.

Viral diseases, transmitted by aphids, are the most limiting problems in chili pepper crops. Understanding the demographic features of these aphids, may thus assist the design of better disease control strategies in chili peppers. Aphid species found in chili pepper crops in south western Colombia were identified as Aphis gossypii Glover and Myzus persicae (Sulzer). An array of life-history parameters of both aphid species were investigated at (25 ± 0.5) ◦C, (75 ± 1.75) % r.h., L12:D12, and LS 5-Light Storm in chili pepper crops. Both aphid populations consisted only of parthenogenetic females, showing a similar average development time—from the first nymphal instar to the post-reproductive adult—, female longevity, and daily average fertility values. The length of the reproductive period was higher for M. persicae. A. gossypii reached its adult state significantly faster than M. persicae. The intrinsic rate of population growth (rm) was lower for M.persicae (0.39) compared to A. gossypii (0.43). Results showed a potential for fast population growth in both species, which would enhance their role as virus vectors. The information acquired is essential to develop pest management initiatives for these two aphid species.

The biology of the cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii on Cucumber plants, Cucumis sativus, and the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae on hot pepper plants, Capsicum annuum carried out at late 2018 Winter and early 2018 Summer, under semi-field conditions at a greenhouse in El Kom El Akhdar, Shebin El Kom, Menoufia, Egypt. Also, the accumulative population produced from one viviparous of A. gossypii & M. persicae female reared at the summer season under controlled conditions was determined. The results showed that the average life cycle of A. gossypii in winter was 8.4 days and the life span was 20.8 days, while in summer, the life cycle was 6.8 days, with 13.2 days as life span. The green peach aphid, M. persicae show some differences, the average life cycle of M. persicae in winter was 7.2 days, with 36 days as life span, 4.2 days, and 21 days in summer. The epidemiology of the two aphid species studied by isolating one viviparous female on a non-infested plant and estimating the number of insects on the plant after one and two weeks. The average number of A. gossypii population was 25 individuals after one week, which was higher than that of the green peach, M. persicae recording 16.3 individuals. After two weeks, M. persicae occupied the first rank producing 518 individuals, compared with 462.3 individuals for that of A. gossypii.

The peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and silver leaf whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) are the major pests of capsicum under protected cultivation. The entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are environmentally safe than the chemical pesticides. In the present study, different EPF formulations, Beauveria bassiana Balsamo (Vuillemin), Lecanicillium lecanii (Zimmerman) Viegas, Metarhizium anisopliae (Metschnikoff) Sorokin, were evaluated along with Azadirachtin 1% for the management of the aphid and the whitefly on capsicum under protected conditions. Result showed that talc formulation of L. lecanii MTCC 956 at 10 and 12 g/l caused 60.5 and 61.6% population reduction for aphid and 60.0 and 61.6% population reduction for whitefly, whereas Azadirachtin 1% at 4 and 5 ml/l caused 71.2 and 74.7% population reduction for aphid and 68.5 and 71.0% population reduction for whitefly after 3rd spray, respectively and were effective in reducing aphid and whitefly populations on capsicum recommending its organic production under protected cultivation and could be a part of integrated pest management program.