D. melanogaster and H. irritans are more sensitive to Phloxine B phototoxicity than C. capitata

PUJOL-LEREIS1, L.; A. RABOSSI1; A. FILIBERTI2, C.E. ARGARAÑA2 AND L.A. QUESADA- ALLUÉ1

DROSOPHILA INFORMATION SERVICE

University of Oklahoma-USA

Lugar: Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Año: 2006 vol. 89

0070-7333

The use of photosensitizers is emerging as an ambient friendly possible new tool to control several insect species. In a preliminary approach, the aim of this work was to compare the toxic effect of Phloxine B (PhB) during the postembrionary development of D. melanogaster (D.m.), Haematobia irritans (H.i.) and Ceratitis capitata (C.c.), and to determine which stage was first affected. The percentage of C.c. survival at adult ecdysis was 46.68 % +6.46 (with 0.25 mM PhB), whereas control without PhB was 85.87 % + 2.46. D.m. and H.i. were more sensitive to PhB treatment, showing a percentage of survival of 2.77 % +1.33 and 1.25 % +1.25, respectively. When D.m. and C.c. were maintained in complete darkness during postembryonic development, PhB showed practically no effect (D.m.:  67.08 % +3.81 without PhB and 63.04 % +5.85 with 0.25 mM PhB; C.c.: 91.90 % +5.03 and 83.22 % + 6.51, respectively). The above data indicates that, after exposition to light, the fly that appeared to be most sensitive to Phloxine B photoactivation was Haematobia; whereas in the same conditions, less mortality was recorded in Drosophila and in Ceratitis. Unexpectedly, larval stages of Drosophila were the most sensitive to Phloxine B in the dark, whereas Haematobia larvae were insensitive.