Synthetic Juvenile Hormone Analogues Against Four Species of Stored Products Beetles

Abstract

Juvenile hormone analogues (JHAs), JHA I (6,7’-epoxy3,7’-dimethyl-dec-2’-enyl 6-ethyl-3-pyridyl ether), JHA II (3’,7’-dimethyl-undec-2,6’-dienyl 6-ethyl-3-pyridyl ether), MV-678 (2-methoxy-9-[4-isopropyl phenyl]-2, 6-dimethylnonane), and R-20458 (4-ethylphenyl-6, 7’-epoxy-geranyl ether) in acetone solution were applied to insect diets at 10 ppm (v/v), and their effects on four species of stored products beetles observed. The larvae of the flour beetles, Tribolium confusum Jacquelin du Val, and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst), reared in media treated with JHAs I and II failed to pupate. At the end of the 6-week observation period, these larvae had not yet pupated. MV-678 and R-20458 produced ecdysial failures, lethal morphological abnormalities and larval/pupal and pupal/adult intermediates. Only a few apparently normal adult flour beetles emerged from these treatments. The lesser borer grain beetle, Rhizopertha dominica (Fabricus), completely failed to reproduce in a medium treated with JHA I. JHA II, MV-678 and R-20458 affected the reproduction of the two grain beetles, R. dominica and Sitophilus oryzae (L.), to varying extent, with MV-678 being the least potent JHA.