CHARACTERIZATION OF THE RESISTANCE OF Chrysodeixis includens TO DIAMIDES

ABSTRACT In recent decades, soybean has been one of the most widely grown crops in Brazil. The soybean looper, Chrysodeixis includens (Walker, [1858]; Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is one of the main defoliating pests of soybean that cause damage and affect the cost of production. The overall objective of the present study was to characterize the resistance of C. includens to diamide insecticides. To this end, the baseline susceptibility of C. includens to flubendiamide, chlorantraniliprole, and cyantraniliprole was characterized to estimate their concentrations for diagnostic monitoring of resistance in populations collected in commercial soybean crops in southern Brazil during the 2018/19 season. Under field conditions, evaluations were made of the residual activity of three diamide insecticides: chlorantraniliprole + lambda-cyhalothrin, teflubenzuron, methoxyfenozide, and bifenthrin for discrimination between flubendiamide-susceptible and resistant C. includens. Chrysodeixis includens was more tolerant to cyantraniliprole than to flubendiamide and chlorantraniliprole. The field populations had a higher survival rate than the susceptible population. The resistant population showed a resistance ratio to flubendiamide of 70.1-fold. Under field conditions, the residue of the study insecticides, except for bifenthrin, enabled discrimination between flubendiamide-susceptible and resistant C. includens. The data indicate the need to study the cross-resistance relationships between insecticides to improve the rotation recommendation. They also reinforce the importance of using other good management practices, e.g., the use of insecticides based on pest sampling and the choice of other control methods to prevent C. includens from becoming resistant to diamide insecticides.