Effects of abamectin and fipronil insecticides on the brain and compound eyes of the embryo of Heteracris littoralis (Rambur) (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Abstract

Chemical pesticides are essentially hazardous. The risks differ from compound to compound, and much of the information on their actions on insect development remains to be captured. The toxicity of abamectin (a macrocyclic lactone, acting on glutamate-gated chloride channels of insects), and fipronil (a phenylpyrazole, disrupting the GABA receptors) was given on embryos of the short-horned grasshopper Heteracris littoralis (Rambur, 1838) for the first time. Abamectin is 66 times more fatal than fipronil. Treated eggs with a sublethal dose gave a reduction up to 51% in hatchability as compared with normal eggs; yet, without any effect on the incubation period. Many embryos have stopped developing at certain developmental stages. The disruptive effects of both the tested chemicals on the brain and the compound eyes were described. The brain and the compound eyes were severely disrupted. The optic lobes appear small in size, and this led to the malformed compound eyes and optic nerves. The brain cells appeared loose and perhaps few in number. The neurosecretory materials carried in the neurosecretory cells were not clear. The neuropil was wide in the normal brain rather than in treated ones. Treated embryos suffered a shrinkage in ommatidia size and number, they are also irregular. Perhaps continued and precise studies should be made to minimize resistance, usually low doses enhance. Continuing studies on the tested pesticides may provide novel insights on their actions for more effective insect control strategies.