Abstract
Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) an invasive mealybug on cotton is primarily controlled by conventional insecticides. An endoparasitoid Aenasius arizonenesis (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is a potential biocontrol agent of this pest. We assessed the susceptibility in field populations of P. solenopsis and A. arizonensis to commonly used insecticides: profenofos, imidacloprid and thiodicarb. Reproductive traits of the parasitoid and Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) parameters viz., Reduction coefficient, Descriptive analysis, Risk Index (RI), Selectivity ratio and Hazard quotient were measured to assess the direct and indirect effects of these insecticides on the parasitoid. Probit analysis revealed heterogeneity in the insecticide resistance development for both the cotton mealybug and its parasitoid. The field populations of P. solenopsis exhibited resistance to profenofos (18.87-59.86 folds) and thiodicarb (20.07 folds) and susceptibility to imidacloprid. Development of resistance to profenofos was observed in field populations of A. arizonensis. Exposure to lethal doses of imidacloprid and profenofos caused a reduction in parasitization (19-23%) and adult emergence (62-69%) of the parasitoid. Profenofos, thiodicarb and imidacloprid were found to be hazardous, non-selective and harmful to the endoparasitoid, A. arizonensis. There is an urgent need for optimizing insecticide applications for sustainable management of this invasive mealybug in cotton.