Lethal and repellent effect of amitraz, eugenol and thymol against Triatoma infestans, the main vector of Trypanosoma cruzi in the southern of America

• Published in: Medical and veterinary entomology 2023-09, Vol.37 (3), p.574-580
• Main Authors: Dadé, Martín M., Daniele, Martin, Reyes‐Novelo, Enrique, Rodriguez‐Vivas, Roger I.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; bio‐insecticides; Chagas disease; Chagas Disease - veterinary; Eugenol; Eugenol - pharmacology; Insecticides; Insecticides - pharmacology; Lethality; monoterpene; Monoterpenes; synergistic; Thymol; Thymol - pharmacology; Topical application; Triatoma; Triatoma infestans; Trypanosoma cruzi; vector control; vector‐borne diseases
• ISSN: 0269-283X; 1365-2915
• DOI: 10.1111/mve.12655

The lethal and repellent effect of the synthetic insecticide amitraz and the botanical insecticides eugenol and thymol separately and together in binary mixtures was tested against late‐stage nymphs of a susceptible strain of Triatoma infestans, the main vector of Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, in the Southern Cone of America. For the lethality study, the LD50 was determined for each insecticide alone and in binary mixture by topical application. The combination index (CI) was established to quantify interactions occurring between the insecticides. The repellent effect was tested using the area preference technique. The lethal effect of amitraz was 11 and 34 times more potent than that of thymol and eugenol, respectively. Only the combination of eugenol and amitraz at high concentrations showed a synergistic effect (CI: 0.3). The repellent activity of monoterpenes after 30 min of exposure was significant at 780 and 78 μg/cm2 for eugenol and thymol, respectively. The residual repellent effect of eugenol lasted for one week at the concentrations of 1170 and 1560 μg/cm2, whereas thymol managed to retain its repellent effect for two weeks at concentrations of 1560 and 3900 μg/cm2. The lethal effect of amitraz on nymphs of T. infestans was 11 and 34 times more potent than that of thymol and eugenol, respectively. Only the combination of eugenol and amitraz at high concentrations showed a synergistic effect. At high concentrations, thymol managed to retain its repellent effect for two weeks.