Effect of the synergists piperonyl butoxide and DEF in deltamethrin resistance on strains of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) (Coleoptera: Bostrychidae)

Synergists are an important research tool in the laboratory to help to determine the mechanisms of resistance involved in a particular population. This kind of investigation has produced valuable results in understanding resistance to pesticides. The ability of these compounds in suppressing deltamethrin resistance on four strains of Rhyzopertha dominica (F.) was evaluated under laboratory conditions. Two susceptible strains, obtained from the eighth generation in laboratory without any selection were tested; other two resistant strains consisted in the fifth deltamethrin selected generation. Each strain was bioassayed on filter paper impregnated with deltamethrin associated with a synergist in different proportions, following the methods recommended by FAO for assessing resistance. The synergists tested were piperonyl butoxide (PBO) and S,S,S-tributyl phosphorotrithioate (DEF), at the following proportions 1:0, 1:5, 1:10 and 1:15 of deltamethrin and the synergist, respectively. Both synergists showed a role in blocking enzymes involved in detoxifying deltamethrin. PBO conferred up to 27 times higher toxicity ratios in the resistant strains than in the susceptible ones. DEF was less effective in reducing the lethal dose of deltamethrin with ratios up to five times.