Rv. Dowell, LABORATORY TOXICITY OF A PHOTO ACTIVATED DYE MIXTURE TO 6 SPECIES OF BENEFICIAL INSECTS, Journal of applied entomology, 121(5), 1997, pp. 271-274
The toxicity of a mixture of two photoactive dyes, Phloxine B and Uran
ine, was determined for six species of beneficial insects in the labor
atory. The dye had no measurable contact toxicity to any test insect.
The dye, when mixed in protein baits, was significantly more toxic tha
n the bait alone to Chrysopa carnea Stephens, Cryptolaemus montrouzier
i Mulsant, Delphastes pusillus Le Conte and Goniozus legneri (Gordh).
The toxicity of all dye and bait mixtures was significantly less to al
l test insects than that of the malathion and bait mixtures. Substitut
ing the dye mixture for malathion in protein bait sprays used to eradi
cate exotic fruit flies from the United States should significantly re
duce the kill of non-target beneficial insects.