Insecticidal Potential of Two Sugar Alcohols to Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae)

Oct 6, 2017Journal of economic entomology

Insect-killing effects of two sugar alcohols on houseflies

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Abstract

Both xylitol and erythritol significantly decreased house fly survival compared to sucrose.

The proportion of flies showing the feeding reflex was similar between sugar alcohols and sucrose at 20% solutions in older flies.
Younger flies exhibited a reduced feeding reflex with sugar alcohols in 2M solutions compared to sucrose.
Xylitol's concentration had a strong negative correlation with mean days survived, while erythritol and sucrose showed no significant relationship.
A temporary exposure to xylitol decreased fly survival when sucrose was later available, while erythritol did not have this effect.
Both xylitol and erythritol could be suitable for organic farming due to their insecticidal properties.

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Pest management plans for house flies, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), often include insecticides. Because of resistance and environmental concerns with traditional insecticides, safe new pesticides and pesticide formulations are needed. The insecticidal potential of two sugar alcohols, xylitol and erythritol, against adult house flies was assessed. Flies consumed both xylitol and erythritol. The proportion of flies that exhibited the proboscis extension reflex, which is associated with feeding, did not differ significantly between the sugar alcohols and sucrose in an experiment with 20% solutions and older flies, but was less for the sugar alcohols in an experiment with 2M solutions and younger flies. When presented alone or mixed with sucrose, both sugar alcohols significantly decreased fly survival relative to just sucrose. There was a strong negative relationship with concentration and mean days survived for xylitol, but no significant relationship for erythritol or sucrose. Relative to sucrose alone, a temporary exposure to xylitol, but not to erythritol, decreased survival when sucrose was subsequently available. Although xylitol and erythritol can both decrease survival of house flies and would meet the criteria for organic farming, deaths were often not very immediate. However, continued investigation of a variety of sweeteners as feeding-stimulant alternatives to sucrose is still useful, to minimize the risk of house flies evolving resistance to the sugar in baits. Our analysis of already published data on house flies that had been repeatedly exposed to a sucrose-based bait is consistent with the evolution of sucrose-feeding avoidance.

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Insecticidal Potential of Two Sugar Alcohols to Musca domestica (Diptera: Muscidae)

Abstract

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