Local variation in susceptibility of Colorado potato beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to insecticide.

The susceptibility status of Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), adults to phosalone was determined by dip and glass jar assay techniques. Bioassay results indicated a narrow variation in Colorado potato beetle insecticide susceptibility among sample sites. LC50 values were generally highest from specimens collected in field that received frequent phosalone applications for seven consecutive growing seasons. In five populations tested, LC50 values ranged from 503.72 to 827.95 ppm in dip test method. In glass jar technique, resistance ratio value of 1.72 for LC50 was obtained. A significant linear relationship between LC50 values of individual populations across test methods was detected. Both bioassay techniques were suitable for monitoring resistance to insecticide in Colorado potato beetle adult populations. Glass jar technique, however, exhibited less variability in LC50 estimates and showed a higher degree of sensitivity than the dip method. Filter paper and leaf disk techniques for larvae were two bioassay methods used to determine phosalone susceptibility in L. decemlineata populations. Both bioassay techniques exhibited a similar level of susceptibility of the larvae to phosalone; however, the fiducial limit values from filter paper method were narrow than the leaf disk assay technique. A significant direct relationship between LC50 values of individual population across test methods was observed. Differences in LC50 ranking among fields between adults and larvae indicated a differential susceptibility to insecticide between life stages. Low LC50 values obtained from Colorado potato beetle in sample sites indicated that phosalone resistance was not severe in these fields. The glass jar and filter paper testing methods are simple and sensitive test techniques for measuring susceptibility of Colorado potato beetle adults and larvae to phosalone, respectively.