Evaluation of avermectins as sandfly control agents.
The potential of avermectins as environmentally safe agents for the control of the sandfly vectors of Leishmania spp. was investigated in the laboratory. Female Phlebotomus papatasi and P. langeroni were fed either bloodmeals containing laboratory-grade ivermectin or sugarmeals containing a commercial-product based on abamectin. Low concentrations of either avermectin killed the sandflies, with median lethal concentrations (LC(50)) of just 13 ng ivermectin or 0.5 ng abamectin/ml for P. papatasi and 44 ng ivermectin or 35 ng abamectin/ml for P. langeroni. The feeding of female sandflies of both species with generally sublethal doses (LC(30)) of ivermectin in blood led to markedly reduced survival and fecundity (i.e. number of eggs laid/ovipositing female). However, addition of ivermectin to the bloodmeal (or of abamectin to the sugarmeal) of the females had no statistically significant effect on the proportion of their eggs that hatched. The results indicate that very small amounts of avermectin in their blood- or sugar-meals could control P. papatasi and P. langeroni, by killing many flies and, in the case of ivermectin, by reducing the fecundity of the survivors.
Kassem
H A
HA
Department of Biological and Natural Sciences, Institute of Environmental Studies and Research, Ain Shams University, Code 11566, Cairo, Egypt. hakassem@hotmail.com
Tewfick
M K
MK
El Sawaf
B M
BM
D000818:Animals; D006224:Cricetinae; D005260:Female; D007306:Insecticides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007559:Ivermectin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D016014:Linear Models; D010058:Oviposition / Q000187:drug effects; D010691:Phlebotomus / Q000502:physiology; D012044:Regression Analysis
D007306:Insecticides; C048324:abamectin; D007559:Ivermectin