MXPA97004337A - Pesticide composition and method to control the fly of the mediterranean and the oriental fly of the fr - Google Patents

Abstract

A composition and method for eradicating or suppressing a population of Mediterranean flies or oriental fruit flies, which introduce substantially minimal safety risks for humans, agriculture and living organisms that are not affected, includes: providing an insecticidal composition which includes at least one photoactive dye which is preferably a mixture of floxin B and uranin, causing the composition to be ingested by the population of fruit flies that it is desired to affect by spraying or by supplying the insecticide in a location where the Fruit flies are fed, and according to which the ingestion of the photoactive dye component of the composition by a Mediterranean fly or an oriental fly of the fruit, causes a toxic amount of photons to penetrate inside the body of the fruit.

Description

PESTICIDE COMPOSITION AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE MEDITERRANEAN FLY AND THE ORIENTAL FLY OF THE FRUIT This is a continuation that is part of the f > ap l series ca pac i on No. 08/353, 726, filed on December 12, 1994.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 0 Fruit flies of the family Tephpfidae include several species that are important pests of agriculture around the world and represent a serious concern for United States agriculture. Fl Animal and Plan * Health Inspection Service (APHT), from the Department of Agriculture of the United States (USDA), in cooperation with other federal and state organizations, has carried out a number of programs to mislead some species of fruit flies when these insects have been introduced. These programs have generally employed an integrated or 0 approach to pest management for eradication purposes. Many recent programs have covered the application of wing + ion bait spray to electively reduce fly populations in the intestate area. followed by libration of sterile flies. Aerial applications of bait spraying over populated areas to control infestations of fruit flies have been or are debatable. Inquiences concerning adverse health effects due to exposure to bait spray have been raised by residents of the treated vicinity. The bait system, which is commonly used to control Mediterranean flies, contains the main ingredients, Nu-I.ure (protein hydrolyzed with acid) as an attractant food bait, and the contact insecticide, bad ion This system has a bad perception by the public, it damages the painting finishes of the automobiles and, due to the high concentration of insecticides (10-20%) on the bait to ensure temporary stability, this insecticide is ex- cessively harmful to beneficial insects that may come in contact with the surface of the bait or that are exposed to volatile fumes after its application .. Fl government of the States The United States has ordered that certain commonly envisaged pests, such as alathion, must have a restricted use pattern. The Fnvi onmental Protection Dgency has specifically requested that safe pesticides be developed for use in the agricultural sector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In the search for these safer pesticides mentioned above, it has unexpectedly been discovered that substances > Photo-active photosensitized by dye can effectively be used as the active ingredient in insecticides for use in a bait station or as a component of bait spray which mark Mediterranean flies and many other fruit flies t- efrítidas. Preferred photoactive color-ant for these purposes is a halogenated xanthene such as phlox or a mixture of a halogenated xanthene and uram na. Other known xanthene dyes which may be used include eprosin B and rose bengal. These colors are described in greater detail in the North American and Heitz patents, U.S. Patent No. 4,647,578 and U.S. Patent No. 4,320,140, the subject of which is incorporated herein by reference. By using halogenated xanthene dyes, the light-activated toxicity is especially marked with respect to Mediterranean flies and oriental fruit flies. The photoactive dye ingredient of the present invention is effective due to the release of molecules of radical 1 ibre induced by light within the body of the insect, which has ingested the composition containing the dye. Due to its small body handle provided, the dose of light is fatal to the insect. Even when they are extremely toxic with respect to the Mediterranean fly or to the oriental fly of the fruit that it is desired to affect, the preferred dyes of the present invention are non-toxic to humans, most mammals and insects that are not desired to be affected. This is a substantial advance in the industry, since the pesticides of the previous technique that were adapted for the purpose of controlling the fruit fly populations, namely the rnalation, have posed health risks for the humans. Because the ion is highly penetrating and very rapidly invades the cells after coming into contact, the malathion is highly potent as a poison, both for insects and for species that are not desired to be affected. , on the other hand, it is directed towards an active ingredient which is toxic to the Mediterranean fly or the eastern fly of the fruit to be affected, not due to penetration into the cell, but rather due to exposure to a amount of light which is fatal to the fly. The effect of the same amount of exposure by a human or other mammal would be insignificant. In this regard, the flo ina compound B (2 ',', 5 ', 7' -tef to blunt-, 5, &; , -ethochlorofluorescein -et) has been consumed by humans for decades. It is registered as Red D R O No. 28 as an additive for cosmetics and drugs, and has been included on such commercially available products as Pepto Bisrnol. In fact, the intrinsic toxicity of the inalation is 62.5 times greater than that of the phloxma B measured by acute LD50 in rats. Adi citonally, unlike rnalatión which kills any insect with only after coming into contact, even in species that do not wish to affect such honey bees, the photoactive dye ingredient of the present invention is not harmful, unless be swallowed In addition, it has been estimated that the penetration of phloxin B in the skin is almost 7 times lower than that of inactivation by analysis of the octanol / water separation coefficient carried out in the U DA. In addition, because the active component of the xanthene dye is activated by light, a much smaller amount is necessary to provide the desired effect. In addition, as opposed to the broad-spectrum pesticides of the prior art, which have a half-life of the order of months or even years, the xanthene-based ingredient will naturally be photodegraded in the environment "for hours or, at most, , days. Thus, not only does it provide an extremely high mortality rate when introduced into the Mediterranean fly and eastern osca populations of the fruit to be affected, but, additionally, it poses little or no risk for use in the agricultural industry. . An additional benefit which is offered by the use of xanthene-based dyes or the active ingredient in pesticide compositions, resides in the fact that, after ingestion, the dye does not immediately bind to the insect. This allows the insect that has ingested the pesticide to fectivate a certain amount of pesticide among other insects in the population. Therefore, substitionally more insects will be eliminated due to the transfer of the toxic material between the flies. Another aspect of the invention is the use of the phloxma in combination with uram a. The uranium is available as Color D Yellow D 8 C No. 8 to be used as a color-ante additive in drugs and cosmetics. The present insecticide composition also contemplates the inclusion of an attractive bait which has the following properties: it attracts the flies of the fruit that it is desired to affect -to the localization of the bait, and it stimulates the flies of the fruit that it is desired to affect. to feed the bait, the baiting atures include (1) a sugar as a source of carbohydrates, for example, sugars such as sucrose or fructose, or sugar substrates such as molasses or honey; (2) a protein food bait such as hydrolysed rotein Either by acid hydrolysis or enzymatic action), or (3) a combination of sugar- as a source of carbohydrates and hydrolysed protein bait. The composition may optionally include anti-foam agents and other adjuvants to improve the permeability of the dye ingested in the insect's intestine. It is, therefore, an important objective of the present invention to provide a pesticide that is toxic only when it is ingested by particular insect species, and in particular the midland fly or the oriental fly of the fruit and Other fruit flies tefptidas. Another objective is to provide a pesticide that has a delayed toxicity to the insect. A further objective is the provision of a pesticide that has a minimal harmful effect on the behavior of the insect, between the period of ingestion and the onset of toxicity. A further object of the present invention lies in the provision of an insecticidal composition which is highly attractive to both sexes of the Mediterranean fly and the eastern fruit fly. A further object of the present invention resides in the provision of an insecticidal composition that does not contain feed inhibitors that could limit feeding or could induce a learned behavior to avoid bait. Finally, it is an object of the present invention to provide an insecticidal composition that incorporates a bait that stimulates feeding and induces voracious ingestion by the kidneys. These objectives, together with other objects of the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the following detailed description and claims appended thereto and which form a part of this description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows the mortality rate of adult Mediterranean flies as a function of variable concentrations of 1: 1 molar mixture of floxin B and uraiuna and time after feeding. Figure 2 shows the functional relationship between the concentration of dyes in 10% of molasses and the mortality of adult Mediterranean flies. Figure 3 shows the functional relationship between the dye concentration in 1% of Nu-Lure and the mortality of adult Median flies. Figure 4 shows the functional relationship between the concentration (M) of a 1: 1 molar mixture of floxm B and uranin on 1% of Nu-Lure and the mortality of adult fruit flies. Figures 5A and 5B show, respectively, the percentage mortality of adult males and females of the eastern fruit fly as a function of variable concentrations of 1: 1 molar mixture of floxin B and uranin and time after feeding. Figure 6 shows the adult mortality rate of the eastern fruit fly as a function of tnetii eugenol alone, rnet 11 eugenol plus a 1: 1 molar mixture of phloxin B and uranin, and rnetil eugenol rnás naled, and time after exposure to light. Figure 7 shows the increase in mortality with the time of wild adults of the eastern fruit fly exposed to rnefil eugenol alone and methyl eugenol plus a 1: 1 molar mixture of flo B and uranina at two concentrations. Figure 8 shows the increase in mortality over time of wild-living adults of the eastern fruit fly exposed to both the sole and ethyl energetic plus fJoxin B at two concentrations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The toxicity of several substituted xanthene dyes for many insect species has been documented in the laboratory and in the field (Heitz, chapter 1, I i ght Activated Pesti cides, 3. R. Heitz and KR Do nurn (eds.), American Chemical Corporation and Series 339, American Chemical Society and, Washington, DC, 1987). Among these are the photoactive toxicity sensitized by the dye, "the floxin B, the adult housefly, Musca domestica L. (Fondren and Heitz, Fnvir'onmental Enfornology 8: 432-436, 1979), the fly of the face, M. auu ali De Geer (Fondren and Hoitz, Env ronrnental Entornology 7: 843-846, 1978), the capsule weevil, Anthonornus grandis Bohe an (Callaharn et al., Envi-on in Entomology 4: 837-841 , 1975), the black nocturnal caterpillar Agrotis í si Ion (Clement et al., Journal of Econoinic Entornology 73: 390-392, J980), and the imported fire ant, c., Oleno? S? Richteri (For-el) (Callaham et al., Comp. Iochen.

Physiol. 51: 123-128, 1975; Broo e and others, Envi ronrnent al Entornology 4: 883-886, 1975). Light-activated toxicity has also been reported in the domestic fly aduJt fed with uramna (Fondren and Heitz, 1979, above), the face fly (Fondren and Heitz, 1978, above), and the imported fire ant (Callaharn). and others, 1975, above). Although the photo-oxidative toxicity sensitized by the dye from the uranine is considerably less than that of the loxin B, uranium has been found to cause smergistic effects when combined with other xanthene dyes. B inane (2 ', 4', 5 ', 7'-tetrabro or-4, 5,6,7-tetrachlorofluoresce) is regi lated to be used as a colorant additive in drugs and cosmetics. The uramna, chemically known as "romo fiuorescema, disodica sal de ', 6' -d? H? Drox? S? C? Sobenzofuran-l (3H, '- Wl xanteno] - -one, is registered to be used as cosmetic additive in cosmetics, yellow corned D &C No. 8. The toxicity of floxin B combined with ranin is of importance in the discovery of suitable alternatives to insecticides that are mixed with food baits in sprays that are used to eradicate or Many populations of fruit flies were suppressed, so in an effort to find an environmentally acceptable alternative to rnalation, the toxicity of a floxin mixture was determined.

B y? Ramna for adults of the Mediterranean fly and the eastern fruit fly. The data presented here is essential information for developing bait formations, containing phloxin B and uranin to control pests of the Mediterranean fly and other fruit flies.

As discussed above, it is contemplated that the present insecticidal composition includes an attentive bait which attracts the insect to be affected and which stimulates it to feed on the bait. Attendant baits include 1) a sugar as a source of carbohydrates, for example, sugars such as sucrose or fructose or complex sugar substrates such as molasses or iel; 2) a proteinaceous food bait such as hydrolysed protein (either by acid hydrolysis or ica enzyme action); 3) a combination of sugar source and hydrogenated protein bait, or 4) rnetil eugenol. Examples of hydrolysed protein sources are the commercially available preparation, Nu-Lure ™ (44% corn gluten meal, hydrolyzed, and 56% inert ingredients, Miller Chemical and Fertilizer, Hanover PA), Ma of € írrnTM (condensed fermented corn extractives, E802, Oorn Products, Summit Orgo, IT.); hydrolysed yeast and hydrogenated beer yeast. The dye and bait formulation can be used at established dispensers at bait feeding stations or used in an aerable formulation for terrestrial or aerial applications. The formulation can be applied by various types of equipment, from overhead sprinklers to high-pressure ground sprinklers, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. To accommodate the different rates of spray volume distillation, varying amounts of spray are used. water as diluent of the active ingredients of the aspersion formulation. An example of a formulation is: Potoco! Prayer from 0.1 to L% of the total formulation Hydrolysed protein from 35.0 to 99.0% of the total formulation Sugar source from 0.0 to 20% of the total formulation Water added from 0.0 to 70% of the total formulation The total formulation should be applied in order to obtain a good spraying cup with 0.227 to 0.908 I-g of porous acrid treated protein. Another example of formulation is: Photocoat from 0.1 to 1% of the total formulation Source of sugar from 5 to 20% in water A formulation dye bait using metii eugenol co or the bait aftenant is appropriate to control the eastern fruit flies in male eradication and annihilation programs. Male annihilation attachments are most often applied as dot or droplet applications in the form of paste (usually about 600 spot applications per square mile) or as solutions adsorbed on solid vehicles such as cigarette nozzles or cardboard blocks. of fiber of 5 c square hanging on trees at rates of 500 to several thousands per square mile. As is known to those skilled in the art, any specific formulation of ethyl eugenol and patron of use, are chosen based on several factors that include accessibility and / or if it is applied in a inhabited area. An example of a formulation is: Coloring photo from 0.5 to 5.0% of the total formulation by weight. Methyl eugenol from 79.5 to 70.0% of the total formulation Min-U-Gel 400 from 20 to 25% of the total formulation (Attapulguite clay) The total formulation is applied as droplets of almost to 15 grams on tree trunks, telephone poles, etc., at a rate of 600 points per square mile almost every two weeks. It can also be applied as a thickened spray by aircraft at a rate of almost 9.08 Lg per square mile every 1 to 2 weeks. Another example of formulation is: Photocolrant from 0.5 to 10.0% of the total formulation by weight. Methyl eugenol from 99.5 to 90.0% of the total formulation.

This liquid formulation is adsorbed on several solid carriers such as cotton yarns or wicks, cigar nozzles or cellulose fiber laminated wood cut into pieces of various sizes. These pieces of saturated solid vehicle can be distributed by aircraft or hung on the foliage at a rate so that the total amount of liquid formulation is about 9.08 to 45.4 kg per square mile. In general, applications are repeated every 2 to 8 weeks. This liquid formulation can also be sprayed without thickener or solid vehicle at rates of 9.08 (g per square mile in aerial applications at weekly intervals.) The following examples describe the various innovative aspects of the present invention.

MATERIALS AND METHODS Insects: Pupae of the Mediterranean fly and pupae of the eastern fruit fly were obtained from USDA-DRS, Honolulu. The pupae were maintained in an insectary at 75 ± 5 ° C, 60-75% relative humidity and a photopepod of 12:12 hours (L.D.). The test adults were kept under the same temperature, relative humidity and fofoperiod as the pupae, and were fed with water (on agar, consisting of 9,975 parts of water and 0.025 parts of agar (Gecarinf M) and a diet of It consists of 3 parts of pink sac, 1 part of yeast prot and 1 .5 pairs of torula yeast, and 5 days were used in the subsequent experiments.

EXAMPLE 1 : Determination of the variation of mortality in adults of the Mediterranean fly due to concentration of dyes, sex and time after feeding. Floxin B and uranina mixed in 10% molasses Five dilutions (weight percent) consisting of 0.001%, 0.01%, 0.1%, 1.0% and 10.0% of 1: 1 molar mixture of phloxin B (829 g per mol) and? Ramna f 376 g per rnol) were prepared in a 10% supply of molasses. Adult test flies confined to feeding cots were provided with saturated dye-molasses preparations in cotton wicks; control flies were provided with 10% molasses. Each feeding chamber has 20 males or 20 females. The feeding of the adults with mixes of coLor-ante-melaxtas began at 06:00 hours and ended at Las 08:00 hours, supplying a feeding duration of 2 hor-as. As of the beginning of the feeding, each feeding chamber was maintained 10 cm below two cold high intensity fluorescent lights, producing a surface intensity of 18,000 LUX; The same lighting condition was maintained throughout the 12-hour light phase of the experiment duration. After removing the wicks containing the dyes, the flies were provided with water and a diet consisting of sucrose, protein hydrolyzate and torula levadur-a. The health counts were made every hour during the first four hours after feeding, at 6:00 p.m. when the lights were automatically turned off, and during each consecutive morning at 8:00 p.m. for 5 days. The experiment followed a design of complete blocks randomized with 7 replicates. The adults used in the experiments were provided with water only for 24 hours (ie, periods of 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness) before using them in the experiment.

RESULTS Figure 1 shows the variation of mortality in adult Mediterranean flies due to the concentration of dyes, sex and time after feeding. Floxma B and uramna were mixed in 10% molasses. The mortality of adult Mediterranean flies fed with various concentrations (by weight) of 1: 1 rnolar mixture of floxin B and uranin varied significantly with dose, sex and number of hours after the end of feeding. The mortality of both males and females will increase < xl increase the concentration of colorants from 0.001% to 0.1%; however, at concentrations of 1% to 10%, the mortality of adults was lower than that observed at 0.1%. Five days after feeding with molasses with floxi to B and uranina, the trend on mortality per dose in males was 0.1% > 0.01% = 1% = J0% > 0.001% = 0%; in females, the mortality trend was 0.1% > 0.01% -1% > 10% > 0.001% > 0% cumulative mortality in females was higher than that of males for all concentrations, except 10%. There was no significant increase in mortality 24 hours after molasses-based feeding with dyes for females and after 48 hours for males.

EXAMPLE 2 Determination of the functional relationship between the concentration of dyes and the mortality of adult Mediterranean flies. Floxin B and uranina mixed in 10% molasses Based on the results obtained in study 1, the concentration-mortality relationship was determined using the following concentrations of rnolapdad (M) of mixture 1: 1 rnolar of floxma B and uramna in 10% of molasses: 2.5 x 10 ~ 5 , 5 x -5, 1 x 10- *, 2 x 10- *, 4 x 10- *, 8 x 10"*, 1.6 x 10-3, 3.2 x 10-3, 6.4 x 10-3 1.28 x 10 ~ 2 The test procedure was similar to the methodology described above Control flies were fed 10% molasses, based on the results of study 1, mortality counts were made until 2 days. groups of 20 flies (by sex) were tested for each dye concentration.Adults used in the test were not fasted (ie, 24 hours before their use in the experiment, the adults had a diet of 50%). ? car-protema-ag? a dur-ante the phase of 12 hours of light, and were provided with water only during the 12-hour phase of darkness.

RESULTS Figure 2 shows the functional relationship between dye concentration and mortality. Floxi to B and urani to mixed in 10% of molasses. Mortality of both males and females increased with increasing dye concentration from 2.5 x 10-5M to 1.6 x 10-3M; However, at 3.2 x 10-3M at 1.28 x 10-2M, adult mortality was lower than that observed at 1.6 x 10-2. The LC50 was 1.7 x 10-3 par-male, and 1.3 x 10-3M for females. Both sexes were stopped feeding at concentrations greater than 1.6 x I0 ~ 3M. The LT50 at 1.6 x 10-3 was almost 7 hours for both sexes.

EXAMPLE 3 Floxin B and uranin mixed in 1% NuLure Dilutions of dyes were prepared in a 1% supply of NuLure (a commercial preparation of hydrolysed protein bait), 44% corn gluten meal, hydrolyzed and 56% inert ingredients, Mil ler. The concentration-mortality relationship was determined using the following novability concentrations (IM): 2.5 x 10 ~ 5, 1 x 10- *, 4 x 10- *, 0 x L0 ~ * and 1.6 x 10-3. The control flies were fed with 1% NuLure. The test procedure was performed on the method described above, except that fourteen groups of 20 females were tested for each dye concentration. Test adults were not fasted (ie, 24 hours before use in the experiment, the adults had a diet of sugar-to-water-to-the-day phase of 12 hours of light, and were provided with water only during the 2-phase phase. hours of darkness).

RESULTS Figure 3 shows that when the food vehicle for the colorant was 1% Nul ure (ie, with relatively many feed stimulants that Molasses), there was no significant increase in mortality from 2.5 x 10-5 to 4 x 10- *; The increase in mean mortality was observed from 4 x 10 ~ * to 1.6 x 10 ~ 3. The LOSO was 1.6 x 10_3M for the females. However, the II so at 1.6 x 10-M was at 35 hours. The combined results shown in Figures 2 and 3 underscore the importance of the food vehicle in adult food consumption and, consequently, the level of mortality due to the toxicity of the dye activated by light. The data attest to the insecticidal activity of the mixture of floxin B and uranin for adult Mediterranean fl ies, and provide fundamental information for the development of phloxma B «uranin + bait formulations for large-scale spray applications, at the scale of areas and in large areas. The proportion and the absolute amounts of the attractive photocoloring bait in commercial formulations can vary - and can easily be predetermined by those skilled in the art by routine testing. It will be recognized that the photo-colorant should be used in an effective amount to give as a result an inhibition of growth or an important mortality rate in a test group of the insect to be affected compared to an untreated group. In addition, the amount of attractant bait used must be effective to attract the insect that you want to affect and stimulate it to feed on the bait. The actual effective amounts of the photo-colorant and attractant bait may vary with environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity and wind, the type of vehicle used, the application protocol and the stage of development of the desired insect to be fec.

EXAMPLE 4 Determination of the functional relationship between the concentration of dyes and the mortality of adult oriental fruit flies. Floxma B and uranina mixed in 1% NuLure; adults provided with a feeding alternative The concentration-mortality ratio was determined using the following concentrations of olapdad (M) of 1: 1 molar mixture of flo ina B and uranina in 1% of NuLure: 4 x 10- *, 0 x 10 ~ * and 1.6 x 10 -3. The test procedure was similar to the methodology described above. However, the test adults were provided with an alternative feeding of two types of food: 2 wicks with only 1% NuLure and another 2 wicks with 1% NuLure mixed with dyes. Role flies were fed with 1% NuLure. The mortality counts were made up to 2 days. Three groups of 20 flies (by sex) were tested for each color concent. Adults used in the trial were not fasted (ie, 24 hours before use in the experiment, adults had a diet of sugar-protein-water during the 12-hour phase, and were provided with only with water during the 12-hour dark phase).

RESULTS Figure 4 shows the high toxicity (> 60%) of a 1: 1 molar mixture of floxin B and uramna trusted adult fruit eastern flies, even in the presence of a feeding alternative that did not contain the dyes.

EXAMPLE 5 Hydrolysed protein bait sprays containing floxin B and uranin for the control of infestations by the Mediterranean fly and the eastern fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) The insecticidal efficacy of floxin B and uranin mixed in sprays of proti and hydrolysed bait against an established and high density population of the Mediterranean fly in coffee fields in Ka? Ai, Hawaii was evaluated. An experimental use permit from the state of Hawan allowed the treatment of 10 acres among thousands of acres of productive coffee fields. A mixture of 65.06 ml of a 1: 1 molar mixture of floxin B and uranine, 479.96 ml of hydrolysed protein bait (NuLure) and 58.714 ml of water, was sprinkled on land for 20 applications over a period of 3 months on 10 acres of coffee, while there was no spraying on an adjacent field or control ) of 10 acres, the adult populations of the Mediterranean fly and the eastern fruit fly were reduced by 50% in the treated field after the spray program had ended, with corresponding suppression of their density levels in coffee berries collected from the treated field. The results were important because the thousands of acres around the 10-acre Treatment Jot produced hundreds of thousands of adult fruit flies that were constantly migrating to the treatment lot.

EXAMPLE 6 Determination of the variation of mortality in eastern adult fruit flies due to the concentration of dyes, sex and time after feeding. Floxin B and uranina mixed in aqueous solution containing 20% yeast hydrolyzate and 20% fructose Eleven concentrations, consisting of 1.25 x 10-5 M, 2. 5 x L0-5 N, 5.0 x 10_-5 M, 1.0 x 10"* M, 2.0 x 10" * M, 4.0 x 10- * M, 8.0 x 10- * M, 1.6 x 10"3 M, 3.2 x 1Q-3 M, 6.4 x 10-3 ri and 1.28 x 10-2 f1 of a 1: 1 molar mixture of phloxin B (829 g per mole) and ranin (376 g per mole) were prepared in a supply of 20% yeast hydrolyzed and 20% fructose Six-day adult flies confined to feeding feeds were provided with the treatment solutions saturated in cotton wicks, the control flies were provided with the solution of Each feeding chamber had 20 males or 20 females.The feeding of adults with mixtures supplying dye began at 08:00 hours and ended at 12:00 hours, supplying a feeding duration of 4 hours. At the beginning of the feeding, each feeding chamber was maintained 10 in below cold high-intensity fluorescent lights covered with a canvas that provided 80% shade producing or a surface luminous intensity of 600 lux. After the feeding period, the shade generator was removed and two other fluorescent tubes were lit, resulting in a luminous intensity of 18,000 lux, which was then maintained throughout the remaining phase of 12 hours of light of the experiment. After removing the wicks containing the treatment solutions, the flies were provided with water and a diet consisting of sucrose, protein hydrolyzate, and torula yeast. the mortality counts were made for when the wicks were removed and 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, 24 h and 48 h later. The experiment followed a design in complete randomized blocks with 7 replicates per treatment combination per sex.

RESULTS Figures 5A and 5B show the variation of mortality in native flies of adult fruits due to the concentration of dyes and time after male-female feeding, respectively. The mortality of adult fruit eastern flies varied with the dose and the number of hours after the end of feeding, but was similar for females and males. The mortality rate increased with increasing concentration, with a 100% mortality reached after 2 hours of exposure to light at high dye concentrations (6.4 x 10 ~ 3 M and 1.28 x 10-2 M). Concentrations less than or equal to 1.0 x 10_ * could not increase mortality beyond the control levels.

EXAMPLE 7 Determination of relative mortality of oriental fruit flies when exposed to dye mixed with methyl eugenol compared to methyl e? Genol alone or methyl eugenol + dog collar (ie source of the insecticide Naled) Containers with openings of 4-2.5 c in diameter on both sides and holding a cotton wick of 2.5 crn long containing 1.0 ml of rnetii eugenol alone (treatments 1 and 2) or a concentration of 1.28 x 10"2 M of flox na B * ur-a ia in rnet 11 eugenol (treatment 3), were placed in an orchard, with complementary liberation of oriental flies of the irradiated fruit, treatment 2, additionally, had a collar-of-dog added to the interior One and a few hours after the release of the flies, the containers were collected by adding a sieve to the openings to catch all the contained flies. The total day and the mortality counts were taken every half hour for the following two hours, after which the total number of flies in each chamber was counted The experiment followed a design in complete blocks aleatopzad with 5 replicas per treatment.

RESULTS Figure 6 shows the average mortality in the three treatments over time. There was an initial high mortality rate in the treatment including the coll ai-dog strip. Two hours after exposure to total sunlight, the 98% mortality was increased in containers to which dye had been added to the methyl eugenol wicks, comparatively with a 100% mortality in the containers which fear a strip of dog collar, and less than a 25% mortality in cameras with only rnetii eugenol contained in the wicks.

EXAMPLE 8 Determination of whether the increase in the concentration of dye in methyl eugenol above 1.28 x 10 ~ 2 M improves the mortality rate of oriental fruit flies Containers with openings of 4-2.5 crn di met or on both sides and holding a 1.8 cm long cotton wick containing 1.0 ml of rnetil eugenol alone (treatments L and 2) or a concentration of 1.28 x IG ~ 2 M ( treatment 3) or 4.29 x 10-2 M (trat a ien »o 4) of phloxma B + uram a in met 11 eugenol, were placed in a citrus orchard that they knew had a wild population of oriental flies from the rruta . After two hours, the traps were recovered, sieves were added to the holes to catch all the contained flies. The wicks of treatments 2-4 were replaced with water-saturated wicks, while the wicks of treatment 1 were neither exchanged nor removed. The vessels were moved towards solar-total light, and the mortality counts were periodically changed over the next two hours, after which the total number of flies in each vessel was counted, as well as the number of live flies with reddened abdomens. in The containers that had included dye in their initial wicks. The experiment followed a design in randomized complete blocks with three replications by t a ami nto.

RESULTS Figure 7 shows the increase in mortality over time in the 4 treatments. About 30 minutes after the exposure of the cameras to full daylight, more than 66% of the flies in the treated containers with dye at 4.29 x 10-2 M had died, compared with less than 10%. of those in the rcipient of dye treatment at 1.28 x 10-2 M. Around two hours, these percentages had increased to 100% of the flies in the treatment vessels with dye at 4.29 x 10-2 M and less than 50% of those in color-faced containers at 1.28 x 10-2 M. None of the flies in the dye treatment vessels at 1.28 x 10-2 ni ^? which continued surviving at the end of the experirnon, had reddened abdomens. The average mortalities in the treatments with rnetil eugenol were only less than 8% and less than 20% in these two periods of time, respectively.

EXAMPLE 9 Determination of whether floxin B alone (without added uranine, concentrations of 4.29 x 10-2 MVB, 58 x: LO-2 M) in methyl eugenol is effective in killing adult fruit eastern flies and if the mortality rate is higher with 8.58 x 10-2 M than with 4.29 x 10"2 M Containers with openings of 4-2.5 cm in diameter on both sides and holding a 1.8 cm long cotton wick containing 1.0 ml of methylated eugenol alone (treatments 1 and 2) or a concentration of 4.29 x 10-2 M ( treatment 3) or 8.58 x 10-2 M (treatment 4) of floxi to B (without the addition of? raruna) in rnetii e? genol, were placed in a citrus orchard that was known to have a wild population of flies Oriental fruit. After two hours, the traps were recovered, adding sieves to the holes to capture the contained flies. The wicks of the numbers 2 to 4 were substituted with water-saturated wicks, while the wicks of the number 1 treatment were not exchanged or removed. The vessels were moved to the total daylight, and the mortality counts were periodically over the next two hours, after which the total number of flies in each container was counted; During this two-hour period, the atmospheric condition was cloudy, with intermittent rains. The experiment followed a design in randomized complete blocks with 6 replicates per treatment.

RESULTS Figure 8 shows the increase in mortality over time in the 4 treatments. After 30 minutes of exposure to total daylight conditions, more than 50% of the flies had died in the treatment with dye at 8.58 x 10-2 M, while less than 25% had died in the treatment with color -at at 4.29 x 10-2 M. Both control treatments averaged less than 3% mortality after 30 minutes. However, the difference in total mortality between the two dye treatments became less with time, both reaching 100% after two hours of exposure, at which point both control treatments averaged less than 21% by mortali ad.

Claims (10)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. An effective insecticidal composition for eradicating or suppressing a population of Mediterranean flies or oriental fruit flies, comprising: an effective amount of a hydrolysed protein attractant bait, and an effective amount of insecticidal photoactive dye, wherein said attractant bait It has the properties of causing such Mediterranean flies or eastern fruit flies to be attracted by said bait and to ingest said photo-active dye.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein said photoactive dye is selected from the group consisting of halogenated xanthene and a mixture of halogenated xanthene and uranma.

3. The composition of claim 2, which contains between almost 0.001% to almost 10.0% by weight of said photo-opaque dye.

4. The composition of claim 3, further comprising at least one antisplash agent.

5. The composition of claim 2, wherein said halogenated xanthene is floxma B. 6.- A method to eradicate or suppress a population of Mediterranean flies or oriental flies from the fruit, and which introduces it. security risks substantially minimal to humans, agriculture and living organisms that are not desired to be affected, comprising the steps of: providing the composition of claim 1; causing said composition to be ingested by said population of fruit flies, sprinkling or supplying said composition in a location where said fruit flies feed; and according to which the ingestion of said photoactive dye by a Mediterranean fly or an oriental fly of the fruit causes a quantity of photons to penetrate inside the body of said fly, said amount of photons being toxic to said fruit fly, being in addition said amount of photons non-toxic to humans and said living organisms that it is not desired to affect. 7.- A method to eradicate or suppress a population of Mediterranean flies or oriental fruit flies, and which introduces security risks to the minimum human mind, agriculture and living organisms that do not wish to affect, comprising the steps of: providing an effective amount of an insecticidal composition which at least includes a photoactive dye in an effective amount of a hydrolyzed protein attractant; and causing said composition to be ingested by said population of fruit flies, by sprinkling or supplying said composition in a location where said fruit flies feed; and thus causing the eradication or suppression of said fruit flies. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein said photoactive color-ante is selected from the group consisting of halogenated xanthene and a mixture of halogenated xanthene and ananine. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein said halogenated xanthene is flo B. The method of claim 7, wherein said composition further includes molasses as an attractant. 11. The composition of claim 1, wherein said attractive bait is molasses. 12. The composition of claim 1, wherein said attractant bait is hydrolyzed protein. 13. The method of claim 7, wherein said fruit flies are oriental fruit flies and wherein said composition further includes eugenol as a ratant. 14. The insecticidal composition of the rei indication L, also comprising a source of carbohydrates. 15. An insecticidal composition comprising an effective amount of eugenol etii as a bait to ratant and an effective amount of photoactive dye as the insecticide. 1

6. The composition of claim 15, wherein said photoactive dye is selected from the group q? E consisting of halogenated xanthene and a mixture of halogenated xanthene and? Ra i a., 17.- The composition of the claim 15, which contains between almost 0.001% to almost 10.0% by weight of said photoactive color-ante and 90.0 to almost 99.5% of ethyl eugenol. 18 .-- A method to eradicate or suppress a population of Mediterranean flies or oriental fruit flies, cising the application, to the habitat of said Mediterranean flies or oriental fruit flies, of the csition of claim 15, and making said cornposi ci n i ng r i d. 19. The method of claim 7, wherein said photoactive dye is present in the csition in an amount from 0.001% to almost 10.0% by weight.