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A larvicide (alternatively larvacide) is an insecticide
Insecticide

An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects in all developmental forms. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the Egg and larvae of insects respectively....
 that is specifically targeted against the larva
Larva

A larva is a young form of animal with indirect developmental biology, going through or undergoing metamorphosis .The larva can look completely different from the adult form, for example, a caterpillar differs from a butterfly....
l life stage of an insect
Insect

Insects are the biggest class of arthropods and the only ones with wings. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet. They are most diverse at the equator and their diversity declines toward the poles....
. Their most common use is against mosquito
Mosquito

Mosquitoes are common flying insects in the family Culicidae that are found around the world. There are about 3,500 species. They have a pair of scaled wings, a pair of halteres, a slender body, and six long legs....
es. Larvacides may be contact poisons, stomach poisons, growth regulators, or (increasingly) biological control agents.

biological control agent Bacillus thuringiensis
Bacillus thuringiensis

Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium of the genus Bacillus. Additionally, B. thuringiensis also occurs naturally in the gut of caterpillars of various types of moths and butterfly, as well as on the dark surface of plants....
, also known as Bt, is a bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
l disease specific to Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera is an order of insect that includes moths and butterfly. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterfly, skipper , and Hedylidae....
n caterpillar
Caterpillar

Caterpillars are the larval form of a member of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly phytophagous in food habit, with some species being entomophagous....
s.






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Encyclopedia


A larvicide (alternatively larvacide) is an insecticide
Insecticide

An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects in all developmental forms. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the Egg and larvae of insects respectively....
 that is specifically targeted against the larva
Larva

A larva is a young form of animal with indirect developmental biology, going through or undergoing metamorphosis .The larva can look completely different from the adult form, for example, a caterpillar differs from a butterfly....
l life stage of an insect
Insect

Insects are the biggest class of arthropods and the only ones with wings. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet. They are most diverse at the equator and their diversity declines toward the poles....
. Their most common use is against mosquito
Mosquito

Mosquitoes are common flying insects in the family Culicidae that are found around the world. There are about 3,500 species. They have a pair of scaled wings, a pair of halteres, a slender body, and six long legs....
es. Larvacides may be contact poisons, stomach poisons, growth regulators, or (increasingly) biological control agents.

Biological agents

The biological control agent Bacillus thuringiensis
Bacillus thuringiensis

Bacillus thuringiensis is a Gram-positive, soil-dwelling bacterium of the genus Bacillus. Additionally, B. thuringiensis also occurs naturally in the gut of caterpillars of various types of moths and butterfly, as well as on the dark surface of plants....
, also known as Bt, is a bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
l disease specific to Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera

Lepidoptera is an order of insect that includes moths and butterfly. It is one of the most speciose orders in the class Insecta, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterfly, skipper , and Hedylidae....
n caterpillar
Caterpillar

Caterpillars are the larval form of a member of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly phytophagous in food habit, with some species being entomophagous....
s. Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis
Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis

Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis is a group of bacteria used as biological control agents for larvae stages of certain Dipterans....
, also known as Bti, and Bacillus sphaericus
Bacillus sphaericus

Bacillus sphaericus is an obligate aerobe bacterium used as a larvicide for mosquito control. Form spherical endospores.References...
, which affect larval mosquitoes and some midges
Midge (insect)

Midges comprise many kinds of very small two-winged flies. The term does not encapsulate a well-defined taxonomic group, but includes animals in several family of Nematocera Diptera....
, have come into increasing use in recent times.

Bti and B. sphaericus are both naturally occurring soil bacterium registered as larvicides under the names Aquabac, Teknar, Vectobac, LarvX, and VectoLex CG. Typically in granular form, pellets are distributed on the surface of stagnant water locations. When the mosquito larvae ingest the bacteria, crystallized toxins are produced which destroy the digestion tract,, resulting in death. These larvicides will last only a few weeks in water and pose no danger to humans, non-targeted animal species, or the environment when used according to directions.

Methoprene
Methoprene

Methoprene is a juvenile hormone analog which can be used as an insecticide that acts as a growth regulator. Methoprene is essentially nontoxic to humans when ingested or inhaled....
 is another biological agent that interrupts the growth cycle of insect larvae, preventing them from development beyond the pupa
Pupa

A pupa is the life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. The pupal stage is found only in Holometabolism insects, those that undergo a complete metamorphosis, going through four life stages; embryo, larva, pupa and imago....
 stage. Altosid is the trade name for methoprene, which is usually applied to larger bodies of water in the form of time-release briquets which can last from one to five months. Use of this larvicide does not pose an unreasonable health risks to humans or other wildlife and it will not leach into the ground water supply. There is a small acute and chronic risk to some fish and freshwater invertebrate species.

Temephos, marketed as Abate and ProVect, is an organophosphate
Organophosphate

An organophosphate is the general name for esters of phosphoric acid. Phosphates are probably the most pervasive organophosphorus compounds. Many of the most important biochemicals are organophosphates, including DNA and RNA as well as many cofactor s that are essential for life....
 which prevents mosquito larvae from developing resistance to bacterial larvicides. Due to the small amount needed and the fast rate that temephos breaks down in water, this type of larvicide does not pose an unreasonable health risk to humans, but at large doses it can cause nausea or dizziness. Similarly, there is not a large risk to terrestrial species, but there is a toxic concern for non-targeted aquatic species. Therefore, temephos should be limited only to sites where less hazardous larvicides are ineffective and with intervals between applications.

Other techniques

Larviciding techniques can also include the addition of surface films to standing water to suffocate mosquito larvae, or the genetic modification of plants so that they naturally produce a larvicide in plant tissues.

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