Scaphoideus titanus is the main vector of phytoplasmas associated with Flavescence dorée (FD), one of the most serious threats to viticulture in many European countries. To minimize the spread of this disease, mandatory control measures against S. titanus were decided in Europe. In the 1990s, the repeated application of insecticides (mainly organophosphates) proved to be an effective measure to control the vector and the related disease in north-eastern Italy. These insecticides and most of the neonicotinoids were recently banned from European viticulture. Serious FD issues detected in the recent years in northern Italy could be related to the use of less effective insecticides. Trials aimed at evaluating the efficacy of the most used conventional and organic insecticides in the control of S. titanus have been performed in semi-field and field conditions to test this hypothesis. In efficacy trials, carried out in four vineyards, etofenprox and deltamethrin proved to be the best conventional insecticides, while pyrethrins were the most impactful among organic insecticides. Insecticide residual activity was evaluated in semi-field and field conditions. Acrinathrin showed the most significant residual effects in both conditions. In semi-field trials, most of the pyrethroids were associated with good results in terms of residual activity. However, these effects declined in field conditions, probably due to high temperatures. Organic insecticides showed poor results in terms of residual efficacy. Implications of these results in the context of Integrated Pest Management in conventional and organic viticulture are discussed.

Scaphoideus titanus Ball, 1932 (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), the main vector of the phytoplasma (FDp) causing Flavescence dorée, is considered a challenging problem in European vineyards. Natural insecticides permitted for S. titanus control in Italian organic viticulture are generally considered of low-to-moderate efficacy. Morever, it should be mentioned that their optimal use requires a careful approach when preparing the insecticide solutions. Synthetic insecticides used in Italian viticulture are included in only two IRAC groups, indicating potential risks for resistance. Therefore, there is a need to identify alternatives or control tools complementary to synthetic insecticides. In this study, we summarize the results obtained in five field experiments (2021–2025) using the main alternatives to synthetic insecticides (i.e., pyrethrins, kaolin, azadirachtin, Beauveria bassiana, and potassium salts of fatty acids). In all seasons, pre-insecticide application populations did not differ significantly among treatments, whereas differences emerged after insecticide applications. The overall results showed that pyrethrin-based insecticides were the most effective in reducing S. titanus nymph densities. Kaolin provided intermediate but comparatively stable levels of control across the years, whereas B. bassiana showed moderate yet highly variable efficacy. The findings obtained here can be considered in designing management strategies for S. titanus in organic viticulture that require an integrated approach combining pyrethrins with complementary, lower-impact tools to achieve effective and sustainable control over time. At the same time, natural insecticides can be incorporated into IPM strategies in conventional vineyards to prevent resistance.