DEVELOPMENTAL AND REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS OF THE INSECT GROWTH REGULATOR, FENOXYCARB, AGAINST THE ORIENTAL COCKROACH, BLATTA ORIENTALIS L.

Abstract:
In a laboratory study, groups of third instar Blatta orientalis nymphs were reared to adulthood in arenas containing fenoxycarb (48 mg ai/m2) treated ceramic or plywood tiles. The reproductive capacity of the emergent adults was assessed by pairing each individual with two untreated individuals of the opposite sex. Oothecal production, oothecal hatch and the numbers of nymphs emerging from each hatched ootheca were monitored. Exposure to one-day old deposits of fenoxycarb reduced adult emergence by 45-75% in comparison with an untreated control treatment. Substantial (>35%) mortality also resulted when nymphs were exposed to deposits up to 3.5 months old on plywood, and up to six months old on ceramic. All adult females exposed as nymphs to fenoxycarb failed to reproduce. Untreated females paired with treated males produced several oothecae of normal appearance, but the viability of these oothecae was extremely low with <3% hatching. With strong effects both on the development and reproduction of B. orientalis, fenoxycarb is an extremely promising agent for control of infestations of this species