Editor's Choice: August 2024

Effects of sub-nanogram doses of acetamiprid, dimethoate, flupyradifurone, and sulfoxaflor on courtship, mating, and olfactory host finding of the parasitic wasp Lariophagus distinguendus – N. Schöfer, G. Ratschmann & J. Ruther (https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13444).

Insecticides are widely used in agriculture to control insect pest. Many insecticides target the insect nervous system and disturb the processing of chemical information by the insect – but not only of the pest insect. Their application may also affect other, non-target, insects in the area. Schöfer and colleagues investigate the impact of four commonly applied insecticides on the behaviour of the parasitoid wasp Lariophagus distinguendus (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae). Sublethal doses of acetamiprid, dimethoate, flupyradifurone, and sulfoxaflor disturbed mating and foraging behaviour of the wasps. This study confirms that sublethal, but field-realistic, doses are likely to have negative effects on beneficial non-target insects, such as parasitic wasps that are important natural enemies of pest insects.