Aryl and Pyridyl Amides for Insect Control

Potent Compounds Create Effective Substitutes for Existing Insecticides and Repellents

These aryl and pyridyl compounds complement or replace currently available commercial insect control products. Repellents and insecticides keep biting insects away from many surfaces, including human skin. However, extensive use of some common insect control chemicals has led to resistant insect populations, thus the need to identify new classes of repellents and insecticides that are effective against a broad range of insect and arthropod pests, but have low mammalian toxicity.

Researchers at the University of Florida have identified a series of highly potent aryl and pyridyl compounds, many of which are straightforward to synthesize, that can replace or synergize currently available insect control chemicals. These compounds also can overcome insecticide resistance in select pest species, such as pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes.

Application

Series of aryl and pyridyl compounds that are equivalent to or more effective than commercially available insect control chemicals

Advantages

• At least a dozen compounds display greater potency than DEET, providing a potential replacement for this widely-used repellent
• Overcomes insecticide resistance developed by some insect species, for example, pyrethroid-resistant mosquitoes
• These compounds are relatively simple structures amenable to cost-effective synthesis
• Preliminary testing suggests that most of these compounds have low mammalian toxicity
• Some of these compounds display synergism with existing repellents resulting in significantly greater potency

Technology

Using structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis on more than 200 different substituted aryl and pyridyl amides, UF researchers have identified a new generation of insect repellents and insecticides. Researchers assayed these new compounds for both repellency and vapor toxicity as well as topical toxicity on Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes. However, it’s likely that this chemistry and the most promising candidates also will be effective for other arthropod pests.