Pasqualini, E., & Civolani, S. 2002 Mimic-Confirm (a. i. Tebufenozide): a tool for a soft and ecologically sound pest control in pear orchards.. Bulletin OILB/SROP (Sect. Reg. Ouest Palearctique) 25(11: 97-106.
Notes: [OBC/WPRS Working Group Pesticides and Beneficial Organisms. Proceedings of the meeting at San Michele All'Adige, Trento, Italy, 3-6 October, 2001. Vogt, H. & Heimbach, U. (Eds.). Publisher: International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control of Noxious Animals and Plants (OIBC/OILB), West Palaearctic Regional Section (WPRS/SROP).] An investigation regarding the side effects of two insecticide application strategies was carried out. Two chemical control programmes for codling moth (Cydia pomonella) and for the main leafroller species (Pandemis cerasana) were compared. One programme ("soft") was based exclusively on tebufenozide applications, and the other one ("conventional") was based on traditional insecticides (the exclusive use of tebufenozide was chosen only for experimental requirement, without considering the resistance management). The study was carried out in the Ferrara District (Italy) on a pear (cultivars Abbè Fétel and Bartlett) orchard in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Visual and inventory methods (depending from the insect species and the developmental stage) were used for sampling. The main pest species sampled were Cydia pomonella, P. cerasana, Cacopsylla pyri and Quadraspidiotus perniciosus [Diaspidiotus perniciosus]. Anthocoris nemoralis, coccinellids and syrphids were the beneficial ones. The results showed the reliability of the control strategy based on tebufenozide (no difference with regard to damaged fruits in comparison with the traditional one). This strategy gave smaller side effects on the beneficials, mainly regarding A. nemoralis young larvae. It has been possible to measure the lower insecticide use: both in quantitative and qualitative terms (toxicological classes).