Analogs of juvenile hormones in the control of insects of medical or sanitary importance

The growth and moulting or immature insects is related to three main groups of hormones : cerebral, ecdysonal and juvenile. Juvenile hormone analogues mark a new stage in the control of detrimental insects, and have significant advantages over the conventional insecticides. In order to establish the effectiveness of juvenile hormone analogues a series of biotests were performed : the wax pupal test, injections, systemic and topical applications, the treatment of food, pulverizations and exposure to vapors. In the laboratory, the efficiency of the analogues was tested against the following genera : Anopheles, Aedes, Culex, Culiseta, Musca, Stomoxys and Blattella, obtaining several effects, such as : lengthening of the larval stages, blocking of metamorphosis and ecdysis, blocking of the emergence of adults, morphogenetic ovicide, sterilizing and lethal effects, etc. Exploratory trials were performed in the field with compounds whose effectiveness had been demonstrated, against some Aedes, Musca, Stomoxys, Pediculus and Bovicola species. Laboratory experiments showed, however, that the insects might become resistant to juvenile hormone analogues.