Etofenprox is a

pyrethroid A pyrethroid is an organic compound similar to the natural pyrethrins, which are produced by the flowers of pyrethrums (''Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium'' and ''Chrysanthemum coccineum, C. coccineum''). Pyrethroids are used as commercial and hou ...

derivative which is used as an

insecticide Insecticides are pesticides used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. The major use of insecticides is in agriculture, but they are also used in home and garden settings, i ...

. Mitsui Chemicals Agro Inc. is the main manufacturer of the chemical. It is also used as an ingredient in flea medication for cats and dogs.

General uses

Etofenprox is a broad-spectrum insecticide which disturbs insect nervous systems following direct contact or ingestion, and which is active against a broad spectrum of pests. It is used in agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, forestry,

animal health Animal Health was a UK government executive agency primarily responsible for ensuring that farmed animals in Great Britain were healthy, disease-free and well looked after. One of its key roles was to implement government policies aimed at preve ...

and public health against many insect pests, for instance

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

Hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising more than 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs. They range in size from ...

Coleoptera Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...

Diptera Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advance ...

Thysanoptera Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Entomologists have described approximately 7,700 species. They fly only weakly and their feathery wings are ...

, and

Hymenoptera Hymenoptera is a large order of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are parasitic. Females typi ...

. In agriculture, etofenprox is used on a broad range of crops such as rice, fruits, vegetables, corn, soybeans, and tea. It is poorly absorbed by roots and little translocation occurs within plants. In the

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

sector, etofenprox is used for

vector control Vector control is any method to limit or eradicate the mammals, birds, insects or other arthropods (here collectively called " vectors") which transmit disease pathogens. The most frequent type of vector control is mosquito control using a varie ...

either by direct application in infested areas or indirectly by impregnating fabrics, such as

mosquito nets A mosquito net is a type of meshed curtain or cloth that is circumferentially draped over a bed or a sleeping area to offer the sleeper barrier protection against bites and stings from mosquitos, flies, and other pest insects, and thus ag ...

. Etofenprox is used at low volumes to control adult

mosquito Mosquitoes, the Culicidae, are a Family (biology), family of small Diptera, flies consisting of 3,600 species. The word ''mosquito'' (formed by ''Musca (fly), mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish and Portuguese for ''little fly''. Mos ...

es, non-biting

midge A midge is any small fly, including species in several family (biology), families of non-mosquito nematoceran Diptera. Midges are found (seasonally or otherwise) on practically every land area outside permanently arid deserts and the frigid ...

s, and biting and non-biting flies. Etofenprox is used undiluted for ultra low volume aerosol applications or diluted with a diluent such as

mineral oil Mineral oil is any of various colorless, odorless, light mixtures of higher alkanes from a mineral source, particularly a distillate of petroleum, as distinct from usually edible vegetable oils. The name 'mineral oil' by itself is imprecise, ...

for direct applications, for the control of pest species in or near residential, industrial, commercial, urban, recreational areas, woodlands, golf courses, and other areas where these pests are a problem.

Hazards to humans and domestic animals

Etofenprox is harmful if swallowed and causes moderate eye irritation. Contact with eyes, skin or clothing should be avoided. Repeated exposure to etofenprox can cause skin irritation. s are >2000 mg/kg (acute oral, rat), >2000 mg/kg (acute dermal, rat), and >5.88 mg/L (acute inhalation, rat). In rabbits, it is not a skin irritant or eye irritant. It did not cause skin sensitization in guinea pig (intradermal and topical).

Environmental hazards

This pesticide is toxic to aquatic organisms, including fish and aquatic invertebrates. Runoff from treated areas or deposition into bodies of water may be hazardous to fish and other aquatic organisms. Etofenprox is highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment on blooming crops or weeds. Applications should be timed to provide the maximum possible interval between treatment and the next period of bee activity.

Environmental persistence

Etofenprox is decomposed in soil by anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms. In sterilized soil, little degradation took place in a 56-day test.Aerobic versus Anaerobic Microbial Degradation of Etofenprox in a California rice field soil, Department of Environmental Toxicology, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, University of California The principle metabolites do not accumulate and degrade to . Etofenprox's half-life in aerobic soil is between 7 and 25 days. One study showed it to have a half-life of 3 weeks on bean leaves. Another study showed it to have a half-life of 1 week on rice plants.

Physical and chemical hazards

Etofenprox is combustible and should not be used or stored near heat or open flame.

References

{{insecticides Pyrethroids Diphenyl ethers Ethoxy compounds