Objective: To evaluate the toxic effect of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) wettable powder against Aedes, Culex and Anopheles larvae.
Methods: The biological assay was applied to test the lethal concentration of 50% (LC50) of Bti wettable powder against Aedes, Culex and Anopheles larvae.
Results: The LC50(s) of Bti wettable powder against Aedes albopictus, Culex pipiens pallens and Anopheles sinensis larvae were 0.104, 0.160 microg/ml and 0.324 microg/ml, respectively; its biological potencies against them were 0.125, 0.192 IU/ml and 0.389 IU/ml, respectively. The LC50(s) of continuous contact of Bti wettable powder with An. sinensis stage III larvae for 1, 2 d and 3 d were 0.324, 0.092 microg/ml and 0.032 microg/ml, respectively, and its biological potencies were 0.389, 0.110 IU/ml and 0.038 IU/ml, respectively. The LC50(s) of the bacteria against An. sinensis stage I , II, III, IV were 0.024, 0.137, 0.324 microg/ml and 0.450 microg/ml, respectively, and the biological potencies were 0.029, 0.164, 0.389 IU/ml and 0.540 IU/ml, respectively.
Conclusion: Bti wettable powder has a good toxicity to Aedes, Culex and Anopheles larvae, especially for the latter two. It is better to apply the bacteria at the early stage of mosquito larvae.