Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Soil-Applied Neonicotinoids in Citrus Tree Foliage

Diaphorina citri Kuwayama (Hemiptera: Liviidae) is the insect vector of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), the presumed cause of huanglongbing (HLB) in citrus (Rutaceae). Soil-applied neonicotinoids are used to manage vector populations and thus reduce the spread of HLB in Florida citrus. Studies were conducted in the greenhouse and field to quantify the spatial and temporal distribution of three neonicotinoid insecticides within individually sampled leaves and throughout the tree canopy. Following field application, no difference in parent material titer was observed between leaf middles versus leaf margins following application of Platinum 75SG or Belay 2.13SC; however, imidacloprid titer was higher in leaf margins than leaf middle following application of Admire Pro. The bottom region of trees contained more imidacloprid than other regions, but was not different from the spherical center region. In the greenhouse, imidacloprid and clothianidin titers peaked 5 wk following application of Admire and Belay, respectively, and thiamethoxam titer peaked 3 wk after application of Platinum. There was no effect of leaf age on uptakes of any insecticides tested. Titers of soil-applied neonicotinoids quantified in the field failed to reach known levels required to kill D. citri. Exposure of D. citri to sublethal dosages of neonicotinoids is of concern for HLB management because of possible failure to protect treated plants from D. citri and selection pressure for development of neonicotinoid resistance. Our results suggest that current soil-based use patterns of neonicotinoids for D. citri management may be suboptimal and require reevaluation to maintain the utility of this chemical class in citrus.