Mode of action of a novel nonchemical method of insect control: atmospheric pressure plasma discharge.
Atmospheric pressure plasma discharge (APPD) has been applied to a number of industrial applications, including the bacterial sterilization of medical equipment of bacteria. APPD may also have applications in insect control. A positive correlation was found between exposure time to APPD and mortality of western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande); tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca (Hinds); Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Skuse); twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch; and German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), with the level of mortality also increasing with time after treatment. Cockroaches exposed to APPD for 60, 90, 120, and 180 s lost on average 7.5 +/- 0.8, 8.1 +/- 0.6, 8.7 +/- 0.4, and 10.1 +/- 1.1 (+/-1 SEM) mg of water weight, respectively, which was an increase over that of the controls. The metabolic rate of cockroaches exposed to plasma for 180 s increased from 0.79 +/- 0.03 to 1.07 +/- 0.04 ml of oxygen consumed mg-cockroach(-1) h(-1) at standard temperature and pressure. The level of cuticular hydrocarbons identified by electron impact gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were not significantly affected by plasma exposure in the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), German cockroach, and citrus mealybug, Planococcus citri (Risso), except for a reduction in n-tritriacontane in the latter. However, changes in the behavior of cockroaches after plasma exposure, including the loss of photo-, vibro-, and thigmotropic responses, inability to right themselves, and hyperexcitatory symptoms, suggest that the site of action of APPD in insects is the nervous and/or neuromuscular system.
Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Campus Box 7647, Raleigh, NC 27695-7647, USA.
Kevin V
KV
Donohue
Brian L
BL
Bures
Mohamed A
MA
Bourham
R Michael
RM
Roe
D000053:Acari; D000330:Aedes; D000818:Animals; D001274:Atmospheric Pressure; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D020048:Blattellidae; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D006371:Helium / Q000737:chemistry; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D007300:Insect Control / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D007313:Insecta; D009026:Mortality; D013983:Tick Control / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D013997:Time Factors; D015431:Weight Loss
D006838:Hydrocarbons; D006371:Helium