Indoxacarb is an
oxadiazine pesticide
Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampri ...
developed by
DuPont
DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in ...
that acts against
lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) is an order (biology), order of insects that includes butterfly, butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 Family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic r ...
n larvae. It is marketed under the names Indoxacarb Technical Insecticide, Steward Insecticide and Avaunt Insecticide. It is also used as the active ingredient in the
Syngenta
Syngenta AG is a provider of agricultural science and technology, in particular seeds and pesticides with its management headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. It is owned by ChemChina, a Chinese state-owned enterprise.
Syngenta was founded in 2 ...
line of commercial pesticides: Advion and Arilon.
Its main mode of action is
via blocking of neuronal sodium channels. It is fairly
lipophilic
Lipophilicity (from Greek λίπος "fat" and φίλος "friendly"), refers to the ability of a chemical compound to dissolve in fats, oils, lipids, and non-polar solvents such as hexane or toluene. Such non-polar solvents are themselves lipop ...
with a
Kow of 4.65. This pesticide should be used with caution since some insects such as the
oriental tobacco budworm (''Helicoverpa assulta'') become resistant when exposed.
In 2021, the European Union chose not to renew Indoxacarb for use as an insecticide. The United Kingdom still allows use of the compound until 2025.
Development
Indoxacarb was developed by the McCann et al team at
E. I. du Pont de Nemours.
Household products
Indoxacarb is the active ingredient in a number of household
insecticide
Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed to b ...
s, including
cockroach
Cockroaches (or roaches) are a paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known as ...
and
ant
Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period. More than 13,800 of an estimated total of 22 ...
baits, and can remain active after digestion.
In 2012 DuPont's Professional Products including the line of Advion and Arilon products was purchased by
Syngenta
Syngenta AG is a provider of agricultural science and technology, in particular seeds and pesticides with its management headquarters in Basel, Switzerland. It is owned by ChemChina, a Chinese state-owned enterprise.
Syngenta was founded in 2 ...
.
Indoxacarb is the active ingredient in the new pet product, Activyl from Merck Animal Health. It is marketed to kill fleas on dogs and cats.
[http://us.activyl.com]
Toxicity to humans
While toxicity to humans has not been formally studied, there has been a report of a person trying to consume indoxacarb in a suicide attempt.
The patient developed
methemoglobinemia
Methemoglobinemia, or methaemoglobinaemia, is a condition of elevated methemoglobin in the blood. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea, poor muscle coordination, and blue-colored skin (cyanosis). Complications m ...
following ingestion.
Methemoglobinemia is a condition which ultimately decreases the effectiveness of red blood cells to exchange oxygen with organs. Methemoglobinemia can be fatal if left untreated, but proper treatment of this condition can rapidly begin reversing it.
References
Further reading
*
*
Moncada, Adriana. Environmental Fate of Indoxacarb. Environmental Monitoring Branch, Department of Pesticide Regulation, State of California. March 6, 2003*
External links
Retrieved 2012-11-11
*
{{insecticides
Pesticides
Ureas
Methyl esters
Trifluoromethyl ethers
Carboxylate esters
Carbamates
Nitrogen heterocycles
Oxygen heterocycles