ABSTRACT
While resistance against many other classes of acaricides has been described, products containing benzoylphenyl urea are currently still successfully used against the pesticide-resistant blue tick (Boophilus decoloratus) in South Africa. In order to assess any adverse impact of these tickicides on the important dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) fauna, a bioassay was undertaken on the ecotoxicological effects of a fluazuron (benzoylphenyl urea) pour-on formulation (Acatak) on the survival and reproduction of the African dung beetles species Onthophagus gazella (Fabricius). The experiment yielded no significant differences in adult or larval survival, egg production, fecundity and fertility between the control and treatment group following three beetle generations over. These results suggested that treatment of cattle with the fluazuron pour-on formulation Acatak was not detrimental to the selected dung beetle species in any notable way.
Subject(s)
Coleoptera , Insecticides/adverse effects , Phenylurea Compounds/adverse effects , Reproduction/drug effects , Administration, Topical , Animals , Biological Assay , Cattle , Coleoptera/drug effects , Coleoptera/growth & development , Coleoptera/physiology , Female , Insecticide Resistance , Insecticides/pharmacology , Phenylurea Compounds/pharmacology , Ticks/drug effects , Time Factors , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
In a bioassay to determine non-target ecotoxicological effects of a pyrethroid spray (Ektoban) on dung beetles, dung from both cypermethrin/cymiazol-treated and control cattle was collected one, two, three, five, seven, 14, 21 and 28 days after treatment and fed to a treatment and control group (respectively) of beetles of the species Euoniticellus intermedius (Reiche). This was done to assess whether a spray formulation of cypermethrin may affect dung beetles differently than previously tested pour-on formulations. Following three beetle generations for two weeks each, the experiment retrieved no significant differences in adult or larval survival, egg production, fecundity and fertility between the control and treatment group. These results demonstrated that the used spray formulation of cypermethrin is likely to be far less detrimental to dung beetles than previously tested pour-ons.
