Juvenile hormone mimics as effective sterilants for the tsetse fly Glossina morsitans morsitans

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Abstract
The development of puparia of Glossina morsitans morsitans Westwood was disrupted by topical applications of the juvenile hormone mimics S-methoprene (the resolved enantiomer of 11-methyoxy-3,7,11-trimethyl-2,4-dodecadienoic acid 1-methyl ester) (Zoecon), S21149 (propionaldoxime-0-4-phenoxyphenoxyethylether) (Sumitomo), or S31183 (2-[1-methyl-2-(4-phenoxyphenoxy)ethyoxyl]pyridine) (Sumitomo) dissolved in acetone. Puparia so treated during the first 4 days of life suffered developmental abnormalities, the severity of which were dose-dependent. Similarly, puparia produced by adult females treated with these compounds were abnormal. Dose-response data showed the effects were greatest with S31183 and least with S-methoprene. Abnormalities in the form of abdominal lesions and wing crumping were typical or flies emerging from puparia produced by S-methoprene-treated females. However, arrested development at the red eye and pigmented seta stage within the puparium were typical of offsprings of females treated with S21149 and S31183. A dose of 2 .mu.g per female of S31183 was sufficient to prevent emergence of offspring produced for the rest of the life of the fly. The same dose resulted in partial recovery of females treated with S21149 some 18 days following treamtent. Treatment with 2 .mu.g S-methoprene did not suppress completely the production of normal offspring and recovery was complete some 27-35 days after treatment. Exposure of males to 20 .mu.g S31183 did not impair their ability to inseminate females; transfer of material during copulation was sufficient to prevent the production of viable offspring by their mates. Although the doses involved in the present experiments were high, the low mammalian toxicity of S31183 makes it an attractive candidate for further evaluation as a safe chemosterilant for tsetse. Of particular interest is the lack of similarity between the molecular structures of juvenile hormones and this mimic which tends to arrest development at a precisely defined stage within the puparium of the tsetse fly.

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