Methoprene is a

juvenile hormone Juvenile hormones (JHs) are a group of acyclic sesquiterpenoids that regulate many aspects of insect physiology. The first discovery of a JH was by Vincent Wigglesworth. JHs regulate development, reproduction, diapause, and polyphenisms.The chemic ...

(JH)

analog Analog or analogue may refer to: Computing and electronics * Analog signal, in which information is encoded in a continuous variable ** Analog device, an apparatus that operates on analog signals *** Analog electronics, circuits which use analog ...

which acts as a growth regulator when used as an

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 ...

. It is an amber-colored liquid with a faint fruity odor. Methoprene does not kill insects. Instead, it interferes with an insect’s life cycle and prevents it from reaching maturity or reproducing. Juvenile growth hormones must be absent for a

pupa A pupa ( la, pupa, "doll"; plural: ''pupae'') is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation between immature and mature stages. Insects that go through a pupal stage are holometabolous: they go through four distinct stages in their ...

to molt to an adult, so methoprene-treated larvae will be unable to successfully change from pupae to adults. This breaks the

biological life cycle In biology, a biological life cycle (or just life cycle or lifecycle when the biological context is clear) is a series of changes in form that an organism undergoes, returning to the starting state. "The concept is closely related to those of the ...

of the insect, preventing recurring infestation. Methoprene is considered a biological pesticide because rather than controlling target pests through direct toxicity, methoprene interferes with an insect’s lifecycle and prevents it from reaching maturity or reproducing.

Applications

Methoprene is used in the production of a number of foods, including meat, milk, mushrooms, peanuts, rice, and cereals. It also has several uses on domestic animals (pets) for controlling fleas. It is used in drinking water cisterns to control mosquitoes which spread dengue fever and

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

. Methoprene is commonly used as a

mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...

larvicide A larvicide (alternatively larvacide) is an insecticide that is specifically targeted against the larval life stage of an insect. Their most common use is against mosquitoes. Larvicides may be contact poisons, stomach poisons, growth regulators, o ...

used to help stop the spread of the

West Nile virus West Nile virus (WNV) is a single-stranded RNA virus that causes West Nile fever. It is a member of the family ''Flaviviridae'', from the genus ''Flavivirus'', which also contains the Zika virus, dengue virus, and yellow fever virus. The virus ...

. Methoprene is also used as a

food additive Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives have been used for centuries as part of an effort to preserve food, for example vinegar (pickling), salt (salt ...

in cattle feed to prevent fly breeding in the manure.

Health and Safety Issues

According to the Safety Data Sheet (SDS), methoprene is a material that may be irritating to the mucous membranes and upper respiratory tract, may be harmful by inhalation, ingestion, or skin absorption, may cause eye, skin, or respiratory system irritation and is very toxic to aquatic life. The GHS signal word is "Warning," with notes such as P273 Avoid release into the environment and P391 collect spillage. Methoprene is suspected to be highly toxic to

lobster Lobsters are a family (biology), family (Nephropidae, Synonym (taxonomy), synonym Homaridae) of marine crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs ...

References

External links

Methoprene Pesticide Fact Sheet - Environmental Protection Agency

* {{Insecticides Insecticides Carboxylate esters Ethers Dienes Isopropyl esters