Persian Journal of Acarology

Persian Journal of Acarology

Laboratory testing of the effects of diflovidazin on egg production and on transmaternal ovicidal activity in Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Árpád Szabó 1
Márta Ladányi 2
Viktória Nagy 3
1 Department of Entomology, Institute of Plant Protection, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
2 Department of Applied Statistics, Institute of Mathematics and Basic Science, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
3 Agro-Chemie Ltd., Bányalég str. 47-59., Budapest, Hungary
10.22073/pja.150308
Abstract
The transmaternal properties of diflovidazin were examined under laboratory conditions on Tetranychus urticae. To assess its transmaternal ovicidal effect, leaf discs were dipped in a 100 ppm diflovidazin solution, after which adult females were allowed to feed on the treated surfaces for either 2 or 48 hours. The females then laid eggs on an untreated surface over five consecutive 7-hour periods. Egg mortality was evaluated based on exposure duration and time elapsed since exposure. After being removed from the treated surface, 100% of the eggs laid by females in the first 7-hour period were non-viable. However, mortality—and thus the effect—gradually decreased in subsequent periods, with eggs laid after 28 hours exhibiting mortality levels comparable to naturally occurring rates. Notably, the length of the exposure period did not influence the rate at which egg mortality declined. The effect on egg production was also examined. Females were allowed to lay eggs on treated leaf discs, but the treatment did not significantly alter the number of eggs produced per female. These findings indicate that while diflovidazin effectively induces high egg mortality, it does not reduce overall egg production. Our results suggest that diflovidazin temporarily sterilizes females, likely because developing eggs absorb the active substance from the female's system.
Keywords
Acaricide
diflovidazin
egg production
transmaternal ovicidal activity
two-spotted spider mite
Subjects
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Persian Journal of Acarology
Volume 15, Issue 3 - Serial Number 58
Summer 2026 Article ID:150308