Toxicity of non-pyrethroid insecticides against Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae)

Triatoma infestans (Klug) is the main vector of Chagas disease, which is a public health concern in most Latin American countries. The prevention of Chagas disease is based on the chemical control of the vector using pyrethroid insecticides. In the last decade, different levels of deltamethrin resistance have been detected in certain areas of Argentina and Bolivia. Because of this, alternative non-pyrethroid insecticides from different chemical groups were evaluated against two T. infestans populations, NFS and El Malá, with the objective of finding new insecticides to control resistant insect populations. Toxicity to different insecticides was evaluated in a deltamethrin-susceptible and a deltamethrin-resistant population. Topical application of the insecticides fenitrothion and imidacloprid to first nymphs had lethal effects on both populations, producing 50% lethal dose (LD50) values that ranged from 5.2-28 ng/insect. However, amitraz, flubendiamide, ivermectin, indoxacarb and spinosad showed no insecticidal activity in first instars at the applied doses (LD50 > 200 ng/insect). Fenitrothion and imidacloprid were effective against both deltamethrin-susceptible and deltamethrin-resistant populations of T. infestans. Therefore, they may be considered alternative non-pyrethroid insecticides for the control of Chagas disease.

The fumigant and repellent activity of aliphatic lactones against Pediculus humanus capitis (Anoplura: Pediculidae)

New alternative insecticides are necessary for the chemical control of head lice. In this study the fumigant knockdown time 50 percent (KT50) and repellency index (RI) of three aliphatic lactones was compared with two essential oils and DDVP, against permethrin-resistance Pediculus humanus capitis from Argentina. In the fumigant assay, none of the lactones were effective compared to the highest activity of eucalyptus (KT50 15.53 m). In the repellency test, the three lactones were equally or more effective (RI ranging from 60.50 to 76.68) than the positive control (piperonal). These lactones are promising as head lice repellents.

Efectividad de lociones capilares sobre poblaciones de Pediculus capitis resistentes a insecticidas / Effectiveness of capilar lotions against insecticide resistant Pediculus capitis populations

Se estudio la influencia de los distintos componentes en la efectividad de lociones experimentales sobre piojos resistentes a insecticidas piretroides. Se encontró que el aumento de la concentración del insecticida D-fenotrina desde 0,2 por ciento (concentración recomendada en lociones comerciales) hasta 0,5 por ciento, no produjo diferencias significativas (p=0,495) en la actividad pediculicida. Por el contrario se encontró un aumento significativo de efectividad de lociones experimentales con d-fenotrina o,2 por ciento al agregar alcohol alifático dodecanol en concentración 10 por ciento. El volteo de piojos expuestos se incrementó desde 23,+- 4,7 por ciento hasta 92,0+- 7,5 por ciento respectivamente. Se encontró además que las lociones conteniendo sólo dodecanol (sin d-fenotrina) producian un volteo significativo de los piojos expuestos (35+-8,5). Se comprobó que el volteo producido por la loción con dodecanol mostraba recuperación parcial a las 18 horas, mientras que la efectividad de las lociones que combinan dodecanol con insecticidas aumentaba al cabo de 18 horas alcanzando 100 por ciento de mortalidad. Se postula que la potenciación de actividad pediculicida demostrada para lociones que combinan dodecanol y d-fenotrina podría deberse a daño cuticular producido por el alcohol que favorecería la penetración del insecticida para ejercer su efecto tóxico