Acute toxicity of three diamide insecticide preparations to environmental non-target organisms

Based on the methods of 'OECD guidelines for the testing of chemicals' and 'Guidelines on environmental safety assessment for chemical pesticides', the acute toxicity of flubendiamide 20% WG, chlorantraniliprole 200 g/L SC and cyantraniliprole 200 g/L SC against Eisenia fetida, Xenopus laevis, Scenedesmus obliquus, Daphnia magna, Brachydanio rerio, Apis mellifera and Bombyx mori were tested. The results showed that flubendiamide 20% WG, chlorantraniliprole 200 g/L SC and cyantraniliprole 200 g/L SC showed low toxicity to E.fetida, X. laevis, S.obliquus, B.rerio, but extreme toxicity to D.magna and B.mori, with EC50(48 h) values of 1.51×10-2, 2.58×10-3, 7.63×10-2 mg/L to D.magna, respectively, and LC50(96 h) values of 6.11× 10-2, 0.12 and 0.30 mg/L to B.mori, respectively. Flubendiamide and chlo-rantraniliprole showed low toxicity to A.mellifera, but cyantraniliprole showed high acute oral and contact toxicity to A.mellifera, with acute oral LC50(48 h) value of 2.90 mg/L and acute contact LD50(48 h) value of 3.71×10-2 μg/bee. The results suggested that although diamide insecticides were low toxic to most species of non-target organisms, caution should be taken in the use of diamide insecticides in water environment and mulberry orchards, as well as during florescence of crops.