Sublethal effect of chlorpyrifos on predatory behavior and physiology of Eocanthecona furcellata (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Abstract Insecticides have been known to reduce the predation efficacy of natural enemies. However, the mechanism of the sublethal effect of insecticides on the functional response of predators remains unclear. This study investigated the sublethal effects of the broad-spectrum insecticide chlorpyrifos on the predatory bug Eocanthecona furcellata (Wolff), which is a potential biological control agent against pests in integrated pest management (IPM) programs. After exposure to a sublethal concentration of chlorpyrifos, the predation capacity and the maximum predatory number of E. furcellata increased by 11.27 and 15.26%, respectively, with prey handling time decreased by 15.07%, and the searching efficiency increased by 5.88–12.61%. Additionally, the intraspecific interference effect was enhanced. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity was significantly decreased after 12- to 60-h treatment. At 12 h after treatment, the expression levels of GST gene (GST3), acetylcholinesterase gene (AChE), and cytochrome P450 monooxygenasegene (cyp6B1) were significantly up-regulated by 1.47-, 1.48-, and 2.05-fold, respectively, while GST gene (GST1) was significantly down-regulated by 16.67-fold. These results indicated that a sublethal chlorpyrifos concentration inhibited the GST activity and stimulated the predatory behavior of E. furcellata. The results will advance our understanding of the toxicological mechanism of predatory stink bug responses to insecticides and predict chlorpyrifos’ effects on predators in an IPM program.