Sublethal and transgenerational effects of broflanilide on Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

Myzus persicae (Sulzer) is an important agricultural pest worldwide that imparts substantial damage to various horticultural and agricultural crops. Broflanilide is a newly developed insecticide that exhibits high activity against crop pests such as M. persicae. Nevertheless, the effects of sublethal levels of broflanilide on M. persicae fitness and population growth remain unclear. We assessed the sublethal and transgenerational effects of broflanilide on M. persicae performance using an age-stage, two-sex life table. Our results reveal that broflanilide is highly toxic to M. persicae with a 72-h LC50 of 2.541 mg/L. The LC25 of broflanilide significantly reduced the longevity and fecundity of the F0 and F1 generations, and the LC10 and LC25 of broflanilide significantly prolonged the developmental period of the third instar nymph in the F1 generation. The net reproductive rate (R0), intrinsic rate of increase (r), and finite rate of increase (λ) were significantly lower in the LC25-treated aphids. LC25 broflanilide treatment significantly downregulated the reproduction-related genes ERR and Vg and significantly upregulated JHEH expression in the F0 generation. LC25 and LC10 broflanilide treatments significantly upregulated the detoxification-related genes CarE and CYP6CY3, respectively, which may be related to broflanilide resistance in M. persicae. These results showed that broflanilide LC25 exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on M. persicae populations, which can persist in the F1 generation. Our study facilitates the understanding of the sublethal effect of broflanilide on aphid performance and helps develop methods and programs for controlling M. persicae using low broflanilide doses.