SELECTIVITY OF NONSTEROIDAL ECDYSTEROID AGONISTS RH-5849 AND RH-5992 TO NYMPHS AND ADULTS OF PREDATORY SOLDIER BUGS, PODISUS-NIGRISPINUS AND P-MACULIVENTRIS (HEMIPTERA, PENTATOMIDAE)

Toxicity assays indicated that Podisus nigrispinus (Dallas) nymphs sho wed no sensitivity for RH 5849 and RH 5992 (tebufenozide), either by o ral treatment (by feeding on larvae of Spodoptera exigua [Hubner] topi cally treated with 20 mu g per larva or by drinking water containing 1 00 mg/liter) or by topical treatment of up to 100 mu g per nymph. No e ffects on nymphal weight gain, feeding, ecdysis, and adult performance and fertility were observed. Both ecdysteroid agonists also had no ef fect on third- and last-instar nymphs of Podisus maculiventris (Say). In addition, RH 5849 and RH 5992 had no chemosterilizing effect on P. nigrispinus adults (tested by providing either topically treated S. ex igua larvae or treated drinking water). These results encourage the po tential use of compounds of this new group of insect growth regulators in an integrated pest-management program.