Lufenuron kills deltamethrin-resistant Blattella germanica (Blattodea)

Abstract

Lufenuron is a chitin synthesis inhibitor used for controlling several pest insects. The German cockroach, Blattella germanica, is a cosmopolitan insect of medical and economic importance. Resistance to insecticides has been worldwide reported in this species. 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 mg of lufenuron/m(2). Controls were exposed to filter papers treated with solvent alone. After seven weeks, 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 alternative for the control of pyrethroid-resistant German cockroaches. Future studies should explore the toxicity of lufenuron on other populations of B. germanica resistant to pyrethroids or other insecticides.