Landscape, Nursery, and Turf - Acelepyrn Insecticide

The following is information on Acelepyrn insecticide, a new, reduced risk insecticide for use in landscape, nurseries, and turf.

Acelepyrn from Dupont Company is very safe, new systemic material for controlling foliar feeding caterpillars, some boring caterpillars, lacebugs and some leafminers in the landscape. Acelepryn uses an entirely unique class of chemistry with a novel mode of action and active ingredient that has been classified as EPA Reduced Risk for turf applications. Acelepryn also has a low impact on non-target organisms such as beneficial arthropods as well as bees, birds, fish and mammals, and has a very low water solubility. It is the first insecticide in the new anthranilic diamide class of chemistry.

Acelepryn has been developed to provide control of caterpillars feeding on trees and shrubs. It has been reported to kill fairly late instar caterpillar stages. This material can be used for caterpillars that feed in turfgrass such as sod webworm and armyworm. It also does an excellent job of controlling white grubs, bluegrass weevil, and billbugs. For white grubs, the labels states it is applied in April through September. One application provides season long control. For billbug control, apply the material in April or May when billbugs are first observed. For tree and shrub applications it can be used as a foliar, soil or bark treatment for ornamental insect control. Since it is a systemic it will be taken up from a soil application, but it should be applied within 1 - 3 ft of the base of the plant. For foliar applications for controlling caterpillars such as bagworms the label range is 1 - 2 oz mixed in 100 gallons of water. For maximum residual control the labels states to use it at a rate of 16 oz/100 gallons of water. This would be one expensive treatment at this high rate.

Lepidoptera (caterpillars) boring into trees: Acelepryn can be applied to the trunk of trees for control of clearwing moth borer larvae such as banded ash clearwing and peachtree borer. The label states that the product should be used at 4 oz/100 gallons of water and sprayed on the trunk down to the flair of the plant. Apply the material after adult emergence.

Acelepryn contains the new active ingredient chlorantranilirole. It is used at very low application rates (0.1 lb/acre A.I.). Here is the best part: DuPont Acelepryn has been classified as a reduced risk insecticide by the EPA. It has also received the presidential green seal award.

Information from "Being Greener When Controlling Bugs" By Stanton Gill, Extension Specialist, Central Maryland Research and Education Center, University of Maryland Cooperative Extension and Professor in Landscape Technology,Montgomery College, sgill@umd.edu, www.ipmnet.umd.edu.