Toxic and antifeeding actions of melittin in the corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie): comparisons to bee venom and the insecticides chlorpyriphos and cyromazine.
The acute and sublethal effects of melittin were compared to whole bee venom, chlorpyriphos and cyromazine injected into the corn earworm, Heliothis zea (Boddie). Melittin had twice the toxicity of crude venom, but only 3% that of chlorpyriphos. Melittin significantly reduced growth rate, diet consumption and food utilization efficiencies of fourth instar larvae. Bee venom and insecticides reduced these parameters to a lesser extent.
D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004390:Chlorpyrifos / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D007313:Insecta; D007306:Insecticides; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008555:Melitten / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014227:Triazines / Q000494:pharmacology*
D001514:Bee Venoms; D007306:Insecticides; D014227:Triazines; D008555:Melitten; C028704:cyromazine; D004390:Chlorpyrifos