Apidologie 34 (2003) 409-415
DOI: 10.1051/apido:2003036

Susceptibility of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) to pellitorine, an amide isolated from Piper tuberculatum (Piperaceae)

José Ednilson Miranda^a, Hosana Maria Debonsi Navickiene^b, Regina Helena Nogueira-Couto^c, Sérgio Antônio De Bortoli^c, Massuo Jorge Kato^d, Vanderlan da Silva Bolzani^b and Maysa Furlan<sup>b

a</sup>  Setor de Entomologia, Embrapa-Algodão, R. Osvaldo Cruz, 1143, 58105-000, Campina Grande-PB, Brazil
^b  NuBBE - Núcleo de Bioensaio, Biossíntese e Ecofisiologia de Produtos Naturais - Departamento de Química Orgânica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual Paulista, CP 355, 14801-970, Araraquara-SP, Brazil
^c  Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 14884-900, Jaboticabal-SP, Brazil
^d  Departamento de Química Fundamental, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, CP 26077, 05599-970, São Paulo-SP, Brazil

(Received 18 March 2002; revised 18 November 2002; accepted 24 February 2003)

Abstract
The acute toxicity of pellitorine, an amide isolated from Piper tuberculatum (Piperaceae) which is studied as a biopesticide in European corner borer, was evaluated on larvae and newly emerged adults of honeybee Apis mellifera by means of contact and ingestion bioassays. Workers in the larval and adult phase were separated in groups, which received pellitorine in different concentrations. The larvae were maintained in their own original cells, receiving feeding and normal care from the nurses. The adults were confined in wooden cages with screens, receiving artificial diet made up of sugar and water (1:1). The concentrations of 40, 200, 1 000, 5 000 and 25 000 ng a.i./individual were obtained diluting pellitorine in 98% ethanol. LD ₁₀ values of 39.14, 36.16 and 13.79 ng a.i./insect were determined for larvae, for adults by ingestion and adults by contact, respectively. The honeybee larvae were shown to be highly susceptible to the amide pellitorine.

Key words: Apis mellifera / toxicity / contact / ingestion / pellitorine / biopesticide

Correspondence and reprints: Maysa Furlan
    e-mail: maysaf@iq.unesp.br

© INRA, EDP Sciences, DIB, AGIB 2003