Laboratory Evaluation of Sugar Alcohols for Control of Mosquitoes and Other Medically Important Flies

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Specialty Science

Date 2022 Aug 12

PMID 35962013

Authors

Ilia Rochlin

Gregory White

Nadja Reissen

Dustin Swanson

Lee Cohnstaedt

Madeleine Chura

Kristen Healy

Ary Faraji

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Insecticide application for vector control is the most controversial component of a public health program due to concerns about environmental and human health safety. One approach to overcome this challenge is the use of environmentally benign active ingredients. Among the most promising emerging strategies are attractive toxic sugar baits. Sugar alcohols-naturally occurring molecules safe for human consumption but potentially toxic to insects when ingested, have received increased attention for use with this approach. For this study, we screened the toxicity of four different sugar alcohols on several mosquito species, a biting midge, and a filth fly. Sugar alcohol mortalities exceeded those in the sucrose (positive control) only group. However, only erythritol and highly concentrated xylitol induced mortalities exceeding those in the water only (negative control) treatment ranging from approximately 40-75%. Formulations containing erythritol and xylitol should be further investigated under field conditions for efficacy in reducing populations of biting flies and for assessing potential non-target impacts.

Citing Articles

Diuresis and α-glucosidase inhibition by erythritol in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) and viability for efficacy against mosquitoes.

Nelson I, Baker K, Faraji A, White G, Bibbs C Parasit Vectors. 2024; 17(1):76.

PMID: 38378683 PMC: 10880232. DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06169-w.

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