Prior exposure to carbaryl alters behavior ofTetranychus urticae Koch on acaricide-treated leaf surfaces.

Preadult exposure to carbaryl affected the subsequent behavior of two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae Koch) on leaf surfaces with discontinuous acaricide residues. In dicofol bioassays, preexposure to carbaryl caused a loss of avoidance behavior (eliminating the tendency of mites to feed and stand longer off treated areas). In amitraz bioassays, preexposure to carbaryl had the opposite effect. It increased the propensity of mites to feed and stand off amitraz-treated areas, resulting in increased avoidance of amitraz. Carbaryl preexposure therefore resulted in diametrically opposed behavioral changes in subsequent encounters with two acaricides. These effects provide additional evidence of the unpredictable nature of interactions between pesticides and show how a chemical, irrespective of degree of toxicity, can alter the behavior of arthropods in response to subsequent chemical encounters.