Flupyradifurone induces transgenerational hormesis effects in the cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora.

With low-dose stimulation and high-dose inhibition, insecticide-induced hormesis, a biphasic phenomenon, can contribute to pest resurgence. The cowpea aphid, Aphis craccivora (Koch) (Homoptera: Aphididae), is a vital insect that infests legume crops. Its hormesis of flupyradifurone has not been previously established. Age-stage two-sex life analysis is used to investigate the sublethal and transgenerational effects of flupyradifurone on two successive generations of A. craccivora. A leaf-dip bioassay method revealed high toxicity of flupyradifurone against A. craccivora, with lethal concentration 50% value (LC 50 ) of 1.82 mg L -1 after 48 h exposure. Treatment of parent generation (F 0 ) with LC 10 and LC 25 of flupyradifurone significantly increased the longevity and fecundity of the directly exposed adults. The results of transgenerational effects showed that the treatment of (F 0 ) with LC 25 induced significant hormetic effects in progeny generation (F 1 ). Furthermore, flupyradifurone at LC 25 significantly enhanced the biological traits, such as intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ), and net reproductive rate (R 0 ) compared with the control. Similarly, both LC 10 and LC 25 induced a significant increase in the mean generation time T (d). Conversely, both treatments caused a significant decrease in the doubling time (DT). Data in the present study demonstrate that the exposure of (F 0 ) to flupyradifurone at LC 10 and LC 25 enhanced longevity and fecundity in the directly exposed adults of A. craccivora, and induced transgenerational hormesis across the subsequent (F 1 ) generation. These results should be taken into consideration when using flupyradifurone for controlling cowpea aphid.