title: Use of natural pyrethrum to control the red swamp crayfish Procambarus clarkii in a rural district of Italy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The crayfish Procambarus clarkii inflicts severe ecological and economic damages in Europe. To develop an efficient method for its control, four experiments were carried out to assess the impact of natural pyrethrum (i.e. Pyblast) on crayfish: (1) the 24 h LC(100) and LC(50) were quantified on crayfish; (2) the breakdown time of the 24 h LC(100) was assessed using Daphnia magna as a bioindicator; the effects of 24 h LC(100) on crayfish were investigated by applying the biocide into burrows (3) and in a drainage channel (4).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pyblast concentrations of 0.05 and 0.02 mg L(-1) corresponded to 24 h LC(100) and LC(50) respectively. The concentration of 0.05 mg L(-1) broke down after 72 h, whereas 0.02 mg L(-1) did not cause any significant mortality in D. magna after 24 h. However, 0.05 mg L(-1) had no effect on crayfish when introduced into the burrows, but led to a mortality of 95% when applied in the water.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Experimental evidence is provided for the efficacy of Pyblast to control invasive crayfish. Obviously, before its use on a large scale, further studies are needed to find a concentration that will achieve the target 100% mortality with the shortest recovery time of the environment.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Evoluzionistica Leo Pardi, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cecchinelli
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aquiloni
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maltagliati
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orioli
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tricarico
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gherardi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003400:Astacoidea / Q000187:drug effects*; D001688:Biological Products / Q000633:toxicity*; D011723:Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium / Q000737:chemistry*; D003621:Daphnia / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007558:Italy; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D010575:Pesticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D011722:Pyrethrins / Q000633:toxicity*; D012424:Rural Population; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D010575:Pesticides; D011722:Pyrethrins; D014867:Water