The ground dwelling insect Poecilus cupreus is recommended in the cases of solid formulations incorporated as such in the soil or formulations to be applied as spray on soil.
Adult beetles, from 4 to 9 weeks old, are exposed to the test substance applied on quartz sand (laboratory test) or sandy standard soil (extended laboratory) by spraying or by incorporation. For at least 3 days before the test starts, the beetles are kept without food and acclimatised to the test conditions. Immediately before test substance application and during the test, fly pupae are placed into test system as food source. After 2 weeks of exposure the lethal effects are assessed and food consumption, together with behavioural abnormalities, are recorded.

TEST SYSTEM
Adults of Poecilus cupreus

STUDY DESIGN
Range finding is carried out with at least 3 application rates of the test substance and 1 untreated control (at least 2 replicates/treatment or control)  with 6 beetles/replicate.
Limit test includes 1 application rate of the test substance, 1 untreated control and 1 toxic reference treatment (5 replicates/treatment or control) with 6 beetles/replicate.
Rate-response test includes at least 5 application rates of the test substance, 1 untreated control and 1 toxic reference treatment (5 replicates/treatment or control) with 6 beetles/replicate.

In order to evaluate the duration of the effects of the test substance and the recovery capacity of the insects it is possible to carry out an extended laboratory test with aged residues of the test substance.
The soil is treated in semi-field conditions and, after an adequate aging time, is moved to laboratory to perform the standard test as previously described.

ENDPOINTS
Mortality: LR₅₀ after 14 days of exposure period.
Food consumption: EC_x/NOEC.
Study includes GLP management and reporting.

REFERENCES AND GUIDELINES
IOBC/WPRS Guidelines (Mead-Briggs et al., 2000).
ESCORT I Guidance Document (Barret K.L. et al., eds. 1994).
ESCORT II Guidance Document (Candolfi et al., eds. 2001).
ESCORT 3 (Setac publication, 2010).