Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae) is one of the most economically important pests of potato, tomato, and peppers in Central America, Mexico, the United States, and New Zealand. Its control is based on the use of insecticides; however, recently, the potential of the eulophid parasitoid Tamarixia triozae (Burks) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) for population regulation has been studied. Because T. triozae is likely to be exposed to insecticides on crops, the objective of this study was to explore the compatibility of eight insecticides with this parasitoid. The toxicity and residual activity (persistence) of spirotetramat, spiromesifen, beta-cyfluthrin, pymetrozine, azadirachtin, imidacloprid, abamectin, and spinosad against T. triozae adults were assessed using a method based on the residual contact activity of each insecticide on tomato leaf discs collected from treated plants growing under greenhouse conditions. All eight insecticides were toxic to T. triozae. Following the classification of the International Organization of Biological Control, the most toxic were abamectin and spinosad, which could be placed in toxicity categories 3 and 4, respectively. The least toxic were azadirachtin, pymetrozine, spirotetramat, spiromesifen, imidacloprid, and beta-cyfluthrin, which could be placed in toxicity category 2. In terms of persistence, by day 5, 6, 9, 11, 13, 24, and 41 after application, spirotetramat, azadirachtin, spiromesifen, pymetrozine, imidacloprid, beta-cyfluthrin, abamectin, and spinosad could be considered harmless, that is, placed in toxicity category 1 (<25% mortality of adults). The toxicity and residual activity of some of these insecticides allow them to be considered within integrated pest management programs that include T. triozae.

Seasonal abundance of the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, wasevaluated on citrus groves in the region of Cazones, Veracruz, Mexico. For the period from February 2010 to February 2012, biweekly records for adult specimens were made using yellow sticky cardboard traps, as well as the presence of eggs, nymphs, adults, and natural enemies on the flush shoots were also registered. Psyllid populations occurred throughout the period of study, detecting population peaks on February, March, April and July in the citrus plantations. Increases of psyllid infestations were positively related to the abundance of new shoot flushes, and these in turn, were related to the temperature and rainfall. Natural enemies were not a decisive factor in regulating liviid populations, while the abundance of shoot flushes produced by citrus treescould play an important role in integrated psyllid management.

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) is an invasive species in America and is the main vector of the pathogen associated with Huanglongbing, a deadly disease of citrus plants in the world. The management of such a problem includes the intensive use of insecticides to reduce vector populations and risk of pathogen transmission. As an alternative to synthetic insecticides to control D. citri, the present study determined the chemical composition of diverse plant essential oils and assessed the toxicity and repellency of oil extracts against D. citri. Their chemical composition and abundance were determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Adults and nymphs were exposed to leaf citrus discs treated by spraying or immersion with different oil extract concentrations. Repellency was assessed by exposing adults to treated leaves in experimental arenas and determining the number of insects remaining on the leaf after different time periods compared with the control. The main oil compounds in the tested plants were anethole, verbenone, 4-ethyl-4-methyl-1-hexene, 4-allylanisole, and trans-tagetone. Oils from Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Schinus molle L. caused no repellent or insecticide effects on D. citri. In contrast, oil extracts from the Foeniculum vulgare Mill. and Tagetes species were toxic and/or repellent for both adults and nymphs. There was a positive relationship between toxicity and concentration. Oil extracts from Tagetes lucida, T. coronopifolia, and T. terniflora were repellent (> 92%) at 40 mg mL-1; this was correlated with the concentration and decreased over time. Essential oils extracts from the Tagetes species could represent a potential defense that could be integrated into the management of D. citri.

S are listed in alphabetical order by the last name of the senior author.

Los aleiródidos o moscas blancas comprenden una sola familia, Aleyrodidae, dentro de Sternorrhyncha, el cual es uno de los tres subórdenes de Hemiptera. A nivel mundial se reconocen alrededor de 1564 especies válidas, agrupadas en tres subfamilias: Udamoselinae, Aleurodicinae y Aleyrodinae. La fauna del mundo existente de Aleyrodidae se asocia casi exclusivamente con plantas dicotiledóneas, con unas pocas especies en las angiospermas monocotiledóneas, particularmente de pastos y palmas. Esto sugiere que la diversificación de Aleyrodidae coincidió con el de las angiospermas en el Cretácico. Actualmente las moscas blancas ocurren en todas las regiones biogeográficas, pero son más diversas en regiones tropicales y subtropicales. Las especies de Aleyrodidae encontradas en México suman 131 incluidas en 30 géneros, sin embargo, dos especies de moscas blancas, la del tabaco o camote (Bemisia tabaci Genn.) y la de los invernaderos (Trialeurodes vaporariorum West.) representan las principales amenazas para la producción de muchos cultivos a nivel mundial, debido a su participación como vectores de virus en plantas. Este documento tiene como objetivo proporcionar información concreta sobre el estado actual de las moscas blancas en México, haciendo especial énfasis en especies que representan amenazas para la producción de cultivos a nivel nacional.