Ovicidal effect of pyriproxyfen transported from a tape formulation by adult sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae)

Bemisia tabaci adults were exposed to a tape formulation of pyriproxyfen for 5 min in a plastic cylinder (7 cm diam. X 18 cm). The treated adults were allowed to lay eggs for 24 h on a bean leaf which bore eggs laid by untreated adults. In reciprocal experiments, untreated adults were allowed to lay eggs on a bean leaf which bore eggs laid by treated adults. Other experiments were conducted to assess the mortality of control eggs which were totally unaffected by treated adults. The mortality of eggs laid by untreated adults exposed to treated adults was significantly higher than that of control eggs. These findings showed that pyriproxyfen was transported by B. tabaci adults which had been exposed to the tape formulation.