Laboratory and field evaluations were conducted to assess the activity and efficacy of Mosquiron® 0.12CRD, a new formulation containing 0.12% novaluron, against immature Culex mosquitoes. In laboratory bioassays, this formulation was highly active against Culex quinquefasciatus as indicated by low inhibition of emergence (IE) values (IE50 and IE90). When Mosquiron 0.12CRD was applied at 1 briquet per underground stormwater vault, counts of late instars showed a significant reduction on day 28 posttreatment. When the late instars and pupae collected from Mosquiron-treated water were brought back to the laboratory for posttreatment observation, emergence inhibition was >90% on day 7. When the late instars from a laboratory colony of Cx. quinquefasciatus were exposed to the Mosquiron-treated water, 99% and 95% emergence inhibition was noted on day 7 and day 14, respectively. When Mosquiron 0.12CRD was applied at 11 briquets per vault, significant reductions of larval populations were encountered on days 7 and 35 posttreatment for early instars, and on days 14, 21, and 35 posttreatment for late instars. Laboratory observation of late instars and pupae sampled from the treated vault water showed nearly complete emergence inhibition from day 7 to day 28 posttreatment. A similar trend was observed in laboratory-reared late instars of Cx. quinquefasciatus when exposed to the treated water. Preliminary evaluations indicated that Mosquiron 0.12CRD is a useful new tool to control Culex mosquitoes breeding in persistent sources.
Keywords: Mosquiron; insect growth regulator; mosquito control; novaluron.