Lufenuron kills deltamethrin-resistant Blattella germanica (Blattodea)

SECCACINI E. A.; JUAN L. ; VASSENA C. V.; ZERBA E. N.; ALZOGARAY R. A.

Revista de la sociedad entomologica argentina

Sociedad Entomologica Argentina

Año: 2018

Lufenuron is a chitin synthesis inhibitor used for controlling several pest insects.The German cockroach, Blattella germanica, is a cosmopolitan insect of medical andeconomic importance. Resistance to insecticides has been worldwide reported in thisspecies. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of lufenuron in two colonies of B.germanica, one susceptible to insecticides (CIPEIN) and another pyrethroid-resistant (JUBA).Experimental populations from each colony were exposed to filter papers treated with 50 mgof lufenuron/m2. Controls were exposed to filter papers treated with solvent alone. After sevenweeks, the average size of both lufenuron-treated populations was 1.33 ± 0.7 individuals,while the average size of control populations were 206.5 ± 39.5 (CIPEIN) and 136.5 ± 43.5(JUBA) individuals. This drastic effect suggests that lufenuron could be used as an alternativefor the control of pyrethroid-resistant German cockroaches. Future studies should explore thetoxicity of lufenuron on other populations of B. germanica resistant to pyrethroids or otherinsecticides.