This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Methoprene is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
| Methoprene1 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| IUPAC name | 1-methylethyl (E,E)-11- methoxy-3,7,11-trimethyl- 2,4-dodecadienoate |
| Other names | Methoprene, Altosid, Apex, Diacan, Dianex, Kabat, Minex, Pharorid, Precor, ZR-515 |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 40596-69-8 |
| PubChem | |
| SMILES |
|
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | C19H34O3 |
| Molar mass | 310.48 g/mol |
| Appearance | Liquid |
| Boiling point |
100 °C at 0.05 mmHg |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox references |
|
Methoprene is a juvenile hormone (JH) analog which can be used as an insecticide that acts as a growth regulator. Methoprene is essentially nontoxic to humans when ingested or inhaled. It is used in drinking water cisterns to control mosquitoes which spread malaria.2
Methoprene does not kill adult insects. Instead, it acts as a growth regulator, mimicking natural juvenile hormone of insects. Juvenile hormone must be absent for a pupa to molt to an adult, so methoprene treated larvae will be unable to successfully change from a pupa to the adult insect. This breaks the biological life cycle of the insect preventing recurring infestation. "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. Methoprene is considered a biochemical pesticide because rather than controlling target pests through direct toxicity, methoprene interferes with an insect’s life cycle and prevents it from reaching maturity or reproducing."3 Methoprene is used most widely as the mosquito larvicide Altosid, which is an important measure in prevention of West Nile virus.
Methoprene is an amber liquid with a faint fruity odor. Among its common uses is for indoor control of fleas and it is also used to control fire ants.
Phenothrin (85.7%) in combination with methoprene was a popular topical flea/tick therapy, though primarily directed at felines. Phenothrin kills adult fleas and ticks. However, the US EPA has made at least one manufacturer of these products (Hartz Mountain Corp., Seacaucus, New Jersey, USA), withdraw some products and include strong cautionary statements on others, warning of adverse reactions. Phenothrin was believed to be the cause of the adverse reactions.4
It has been suggested that methoprene is responsible for killing and stunting the growth of lobsters in Narragansett Bay.5
References
- ^ Merck Index, 11th Edition, 5906.
- ^ "Methoprene". Water Sanitation and Health. World Health Organization. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
- ^ "Insect Growth Regulators: S-Hydroprene (128966), S-Kinoprene (107502), Methoprene (105401), S-Methoprene (105402) Fact Sheet". U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved on 2007-09-09.
- ^ "Hartz Flea and Tick Drops for Cats and Kittens to be Cancelled". Pesticides: Topical & Chemical Fact Sheets. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
- ^ "Are our lobsters casualties in war on mosquitoes?". Retrieved on 2008-07-18.
External links
- Methoprene Pesticide Fact Sheet - Environmental Protection Agency
- Methoprene Pesticide Information Profile - Extension Toxicology Network
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 1 December 2008, at 12:44.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Methoprene".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.