Assessment of nanomaterials for the control of insect pests and disease vectors

BUTELER,M.; LOPEZ GARCIA, G. P.; STADLER, T

Mendoza

Simposio; XXXIV REUNIÓN CIENTIFICA ANUAL DE LA SOCIEDAD DE BIOLOGÍA DE CUYO ?ASPECTOS BÁSICOS- TRASLACIONALES EN CIENCIAS BIOLÓGICAS?; 2016

Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, U.N.Cuyo

This study assessed the acute exposure toxicity, the intake toxicity, and sub-lethal effects, as repellency, feeding deterrence and progeny (F1) reduction caused by the nanostructured alumina insecticide (NSA) on Sitophilus oryzae adults under laboratory conditions. Acute toxicity of NSA was higher to that of commercially available products as diatomaceous earth (DE) Protect-It® and DiatomiD®, demonstrating its insecticidal potential. NSA resulted in significant adult mortality of S. oryzae in laboratory exposure bioassays. Median lethal concentration values (LC50) obtained were LC50= 97 (90-104) ppm for NSA, LC50= 152 (140-165) ppm for Protect-It® and LC50= 324 (289-371) ppm for DiatomiD®. NSA as well as other inert dusts resulted toxic by ingestion, after 35 days of feeding. CL50= 200 (186-216) ppm for NSA, Protect-It® CL50= 232 (214-251) and DiatomiD® CL50= 535 ppm (480-615) ppm. Efficacy tests of NSA were conducted in small silos (400mL), using untreated and treated wheat kernels. Grain damage and parental survival was highest in the untreated controls, followed in decreasing order by DiatomiD®, Protect-It® and NSA. Progeny (F1) was significantly suppressed by NSA in wheat, followed by DE. Results of repellence bioassays indicate that NSA and DE are not repellent. Feeding deterrence bioassays showed that NSA as DE has strong anti-feedant action. Besides, we recommend evaluating nanoinsecticides as innovative vector and disease control tools.