Evaluation of Several Insecticides For Quarantine Use, 1976

Abstract

Abstract All test insects except Japanese beetle were laboratoryreared and hand-carried or airmailed to the test site in Miami, Fla. Insects were caged in either 1 -gal paper tubs (cockroaches, tobacco budworms), plastic cups (boll weevils, Colorado potato beetles, Mexican bean beetles, and mosquitoes), plastic vials, 5 cm deep × 2 Cm diameter (brown dog ticks), or wire screen cylinders (Japanese beetles). All containers were covered wity nylon screen, 6 × 7 mesh/cm2 for mosquitoes, ticks, and Japanese beetles and 4 × 4 mesh/cm2 for all others. Both adult and nymphal cockroaches were treated; all other test species were adults. Cages were arrayed in the center of 71 -m3 trailers. Aerosols were dispensed while walking the length of the trailer. The actual dosage was determined by weighing the container after a release lasting for a predetermined period (predicated by the nominal dosage level). Dusts were preweighed and introduced through the door of the trailer from a CO2_propelled gun. Test animals were exposed for 10 min with trailer doors closed and 20 min with the doors open. After exposure, cages were removed to the laboratory where the tobacco budworms, flies, and mosquitoes were given access to 10% sucrose in distilled water and the Japanese beetles and boll weevils were given halved apples. All test species were held for 24 hrs before mortality was determined. The criterion for mortality was ataxia. During exposure and holding prior to and after testing, the average temperature was 25° C. Each replication consisted of a minimum of 20 specimens. Applications were made over a period of 7 days. There was a control for each day. Abbott's formula was used to correct each day's mortality. The corrected data were pooled. Dust formulations were prepared by dissolving technical material in a sufficient amount of methylene chloride to form a slurry with the carrier. Hi Sil 233, and evaporating off the solvent. Dusts were not micronized. Aerosol formulations were prepared with 50% propellant 11 and 50% propel Iant 12 except the 5% d-phenothrin formulation which contained 97.7% propellant 12. Also, 2 formulations of 0.3% RU-22,974 were prepared, one with a cosolvent and one without. All other formulations contained no cosolvents.