Proforce Scarlet Trio Insecticide.

Scarlet Trio insecticide is a novel 3-way mix of 116 g/L Clothianidin, 83 g/L Clofentezine, and 13 g/L Abamectin which is registered for ground pearl. As turf agronomists we love this product because it offers a unique combination of three active ingredients from 3 different chemical groups. This means it is ideal for use in any resistance management program.

Scarlet Trio gives an instant knockdown of insect pests as well as with long-term residual control. It is the first registered insecticide in Australia for the control of ground pearl.

Scarlet Trio controls the following insect pests:

• Billbug.
• African black beetle.
• Argentinian scarab.
• Argentine stem weevil.
• Couch fly.
• Mole cricket.
• Couch mite.
• Ground pearl.

Scarlet Trio contains three active ingredients.

Clothianidin – Group 4A

Clothianidin is in the same chemical group as Imidacloprid, which is the the active in Tempo Xtra and Recruit Insecticide.

In the USA clothianidin is sold as a stand-alone product (Arena), and also in combination with Bifenthrin (Aloft).

• Clothianidin is very safe to use because of its low toxicity to mammals.
• It is also very unlikely to volatilise from the soil due to its low vapour pressure.
• It gives excellent control of Scarab larvae due to its high soil mobility, and long soil residual.
• Clothianidin has superior environmental and operator safety.

Clothianidin is a systemic neonicotinoid. Turf grass takes this up via the foliage and the roots, and it is then distributed acropetally (upwards in the plant).

As an acetylcholine receptor antagonist, it binds to the acetylcholine receptor and interferes with nerve transmission.

Insects are exposed by either contact or ingestion. Upon ingestion, the target insect quickly stops feeding which stops any further attack.

Clofentezine – Group 10A.

Clofentezine is a long-lasting contact turf miticide. It interferes with cell growth and differentiation during the final stages of ovicide, and early larval development.

• Works on the egg and early larval stages of the mite.
• It works for up to 45 days.

Abamectin – Group 6.

Abamectin is one of the actives also found in Malice Duo. It has limited systemic activity but does have translaminar movement (one side of the leaf to the other). This means it is able to kill mites that hide in hard to reach plant parts. It translocates into the leaves of turf grass, and then remains for several weeks giving long term mite control.

Abamectin blocks the transmission of electrical activity, and enhances the effects of glutamate. As a result mites become paralysed, stop feeding, and die.

Abamectin also has some contact toxicity, but its stomach toxicity is much stronger. 2 to 3 days after you apply Abamectin, it is at its most effective, and this lasts about 7 to 15 days.

Key Features of Scarlet Trio.

• Unique, industry first 3-way insecticide.
• Reliable residual performance.
• Scarlet Trio has both Contact and Systemic activity.
• It has a very broad Spectrum of control and in fact controls 8 insect pests.
• Scarlet Trio is the only insecticide that is registered to control Ground Pearl in turf.
• It is registered for Couch Fly which currently has very few control options.
• Scarlet Trio has multiple modes of action, with its actives in Groups 4A, 10A, and 6. This maximises insect control and its spectrum of activity.
• Gives reliable control of Couch Mites, African Black Beetle, Billbug, and Argentinian Scarab.
• Can be used as a foliar application for Mites and Couch Fly or you can apply it as a drench for soil-borne insect pests like Ground Pearl, and African Black Beetle.
• Researched and Formulated in Australia.
• Available in 1L and 5L pack sizes.

Scarlet Trio Label

SDS Scarlet Trio

Scarlet Trio for Ground Pearl.

Ground pearls are relatives of the scale insect, which are common pests of ornamental plants. They excrete a waxy coating that surrounds their body, and this makes their control very difficult. This coating protects them against many insecticides that might be effective in their control.

Ground pearls produce one generation per year and overwinter as nymphs in cysts that attach to turf roots. They become adults in the late Spring to mid-Summer¹https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/ground-pearls-in-turf.

You often see Ground Pearl in the soil as a pink to yellowish brown balls. These range in size from about 4.3 mm in diameter to the size of a grain of sand²Buss EA. (May 2009). Insect Pest Management on Turfgrass. EDIS. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IG001 (24 January 2012). (Buss 2008). The exposed mouthparts are used to feed and attach to the roots of turf plants.

Work at Clemson University shows that nine months after treatment, products that contain clothianidin (plus a wetting agent) seem to have some efficacy but do not provide “great” control. So Scarlet Trio gives some effect but it is by no means a “silver bullet”.

Scarlet Trio for Argentine Stem Weevil.

The active clothianidin is what does the grunt work against stem weevil in turf. It is one of the few residual curative products in the turf market and work’s best when most of the larvae enter the soil. Clothianidin rapidly moves into the leaf tissue as it has both translaminar and systemic activity.

• Clothianidin is effective on the small larvae or third instars³Koppenhöfer, A.M., O.S. Kostromytska and S. Wu. 2018. Pyrethroid-resistance level affects performance of larvicides and adulticides from different classes in populations of Listronotus maculicollis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 111(4):1851-1859 (https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toy142)..
• US research shows that Aloft (Clothianidin and Bifenthrin) gives between 84 to 95% control ⁴Vittum, P.J., and , Brocklesby, L.J., FIELD EFFICACY OF TWO NEONICOTINOIDS AGAINST FIRST GENERATION ANNUAL BLUEGRASS WEEVIL, GOLF COURSE FAIRWAY, 2011, Arthropod Management Tests 2012, Vol. 37

Scarlet Trio for Couch Mite.

Two of the active ingredients in Scarlet Trio are effective on mites, and give effective control on all mite growth stages from the eggs through to the adults.

Scarlet Trio for African Black Beetle.

The best time to apply Scarlet Trio is at peak egg hatch from late September through to mid- November. Due to its high mobility, the water volume is important, so aim to apply the product as close to the soil surface as possible. Ideally apply to wet or dewy turf in 400 to 800 L of water.

Buy Scarlet Trio.