A new larvicide ovitrap made of plastic with pyriproxyfen incorporated for Aedes aegypti control

ZERBA, EDUARDO; LICASTRO, SUSANA; EISENBERG, PATRICIA; HARBURGUER, LAURA; MASUH, HÉCTOR; LORENZO, CECILIA

San Diego

Congreso; 83rd AMCA Annual Meeting; 2017

American Mosquito Control Association

Aedes aegypti (L.) is a species of international concern because of its ability to transmit serious human arboviral diseases including yellow fever, dengue, zika and chikungunya, which have spread to all continents. Ovitraps are containers constructed to imitate Aedes? natural breeding sites and have been used for many decades as a sensitive and inexpensive surveillance tool for detecting the presence of container-inhabiting mosquitoes. Its improvement for population control purposes could introduce a new tool with low environmental impact that will allow an integrated vector control.In this study we performed a biological and chemical characterization of a new ovitrap prototype manufactured by injection molding of low density polyethylene (LDPE) with the larvicide pyriproxyfen. Our research shows that pyriproxyfen was immediately released from the LDPE into the water of the ovitrap and led to an emergence inhibition (EI) of 100% for over 30 weeks. In addition, ovitraps continued to show a high larvicidal activity after over 20 washes. Pyriproxyfen was detectable in the water after a contact of 20 seconds with the ovitrap and reached a peak after 24 hours. Also the horizontal transfer of pyriproxyfen from the ovitrap to breeding sites was observed.Results of this work indicate the feasibility of using a long lasting material containing pyriproxyfen as larvicidal ovitrap. This tool together with the use of curtains or jar covers treated with insecticides could improve Ae. aegypti population control and potentially reduce dengue and zika transmission.