Neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid causes outbreaks of spider mites on elm trees in urban landscapes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Attempts to eradicate alien arthropods often require pesticide applications. An effort to remove an alien beetle from Central Park in New York City, USA, resulted in widespread treatments of trees with the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid. Imidacloprid's systemic activity and mode of entry via roots or trunk injections reduce risk of environmental contamination and limit exposure of non-target organisms to pesticide residues. However, unexpected outbreaks of a formerly innocuous herbivore, Tetranychus schoenei (Acari: Tetranychidae), followed imidacloprid applications to elms in Central Park. This undesirable outcome necessitated an assessment of imidacloprid's impact on communities of arthropods, its effects on predators, and enhancement of the performance of T. s

SUBMITTER: Szczepaniec A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3104998 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature