title: Pre-treatment of Stegomyia aegypti mosquitoes with a sublethal dose of imidacloprid impairs behavioural avoidance induced by lemon oil and DEET.
abstract: The present study was conducted to determine whether imidacloprid can impair the avoidance behaviour of the mosquito Stegomyia aegypti. Laboratory investigations using a T-maze apparatus showed that St. aegypti mosquitoes present long term avoidance behaviour when they are exposed to repetitive trials with lemon oil and DEET. The present study tested the effect of a sublethal dose of imidacloprid on the avoidance behaviour of St. aegypti mosquitoes over a 48 h period. Data suggest that 0.5 ng of imidacloprid/mosquito reduces the avoidance behaviour of mosquitoes exposed to lemon oil, on the first day of exposure, after the second trial; whereas imidacloprid affected DEET repellency only the first day of exposure, after the second trial. Imidacloprid was toxic against St. aegypti mosquitoes, and at sublethal doses was able to impair the repellency induced by lemon oil and DEET. The present data were consistent with the finding that St. aegypti mosquitoes exhibit long term avoidance behaviour, and treatment of mosquitoes with a sublethal dose of imidacloprid under DEET application can affect the repellency of DEET against St. aegypti.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Récepteurs et Canaux Ioniques Membranaires (RCIM), UPRES EA 2647/USC INRA 1330, SFR QUASAV 4207, UFR Sciences, Université d'Angers, Angers, France; Neurotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Entomology and Nematology, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, U.S.A.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Thany
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Bloomquist
mesh_terms: D000330:Aedes / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D009033:Culicidae / Q000187:drug effects*; D003671:DEET / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007302:Insect Repellents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007306:Insecticides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D007093:Imidazoles; D007302:Insect Repellents; D007306:Insecticides; D000073943:Neonicotinoids; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D010938:Plant Oils; D003671:DEET; C082359:imidacloprid; C501365:lemon oil
keywords: DEET; Stegomyia aegypti; behaviour; imidacloprid; mosquito; repellency