SHORT-TERM MACROSCOPIC EFFECTS OF BROFLANILIDE AND PRALLETHRIN EXPOSURE IN AEDES AEGYPTI
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Oct 16, 2026
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Abstract
Arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya are transmitted primarily by Aedes aegypti (L.), making this mosquito a major public health concern in the Americas. Vector control has relied mainly on chemical insecticides, despite the widespread emergence of resistance. Alternative strategies have been proposed, including the use of Wolbachia-infected or sterile mosquitoes, but insecticides remain the first line of response during outbreaks. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the short-term (24-48 h) macroscopic responses of Ae. aegypti to broflanilide, a meta-diamide insecticide with limited prior use in mosquito control, and prallethrin, a commonly applied pyrethroid. Female mosquitoes (New Orleans susceptible strain) were exposed to sublethal concentrations of both insecticides using the CDC bottle bioassay. Survivors were subsequently monitored for visible changes in behavior and morphology. Prallethrin exposure caused rapid knockdown and mortality within 24 h, with no survivors showing interest in feeding. In contrast, broflanilide did not induce knockdown but led to a resting, immobile posture at 60 min. After 24 h, most exposed mosquitoes died; however, a subset that fed on sucrose or blood exhibited abdominal distension with apparent gas accumulation. Broflanilide and prallethrin produced distinct short-term phenotypic outcomes, highlighting the need for further investigation of broflanilide’s physiological effects and its potential role in integrated vector control.
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González Cuellar, C. D., Huerta Garcia, R. E., Ramírez Ahuja, M. de L., Jiménez Martínez, M. L., Rodriguez Sanchez, I. P., & Trujillo rodriguez, G. (2026). SHORT-TERM MACROSCOPIC EFFECTS OF BROFLANILIDE AND PRALLETHRIN EXPOSURE IN AEDES AEGYPTI. Acta Entomologica Serbica, 31(2). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23420543
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References
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Salgado, J. F. M., Premkrishnan, B. N., Oliveira, E. L., Vettath, V. K., Goh, F. G., Hou, X., & Junqueira, A. C. M. (2024). The dynamics of the midgut microbiome in Aedes aegypti during digestion reveal putative symbionts. PNAS nexus, 3(8), 317.
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Andreazza, F., Oliveira, E. E., & Martins, G. F. (2021). Implications of sublethal insecticide exposure and the development of resistance on mosquito physiology, behavior, and pathogen transmission. Insects, 12(10), 917. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12100917
Asgarian, T. S., Vatandoost, H., Hanafi-Bojd, A. A., & Nikpoor, F. (2023). Worldwide status of insecticide resistance of Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, vectors of arboviruses of Chikungunya, Dengue, Zika and Yellow Fever. Journal of Arthropod-Borne Diseases, 17(1), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.18502/jad.v17i1.13198
Azratul-Hizayu, T., Chen, C., Lau, K., Azrizal-Wahid, N., Tan, T., Lim, Y., Sofian-Azirun, M., & Low, V. (2021). Phenotypic profile of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) exposed to pyrethroid-based mat vaporizers and underlying detoxification mechanisms: A statewide report in Selangor, Malaysia. Parasitology international, 10248 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parint.2021.102483.
Brune, A. (2019). Methanogenesis in the digestive tracts of insects and other arthropods. In Biogenesis of hydrocarbons Springer, Cham, 229-260.
Chin, A. C., Chen, C. D., Low, V. L., Lee, H. L., Azidah, A. A., Lau, K. W., & Sofian-Azirun, M. (2017). Comparative efficacy of commercial mosquito coils against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) in Malaysia: A nationwide report. Journal of Economic Entomology, 110(5), 2247–2251. https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/tox210
Davila-Barboza, J. A., Gutierrez-Rodriguez, S. M., Juache-Villagrana, A. E., Lopez-Monroy, B., & Flores, A. E. (2024). Widespread resistance to temephos in Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) from Mexico. Insects, 15(2), 120. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15020120
Dusfour, I., Vontas, J., David, J. P., Weetman, D., Fonseca, D. M., Corbel, V., & Chandre, F. (2019). Management of insecticide resistance in the major Aedes vectors of arboviruses: Advances and challenges. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 13(10), e0007615. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0007615
Lafargue, G. L., Medina, J. M. A., Acosta, A. L., & Llanes, Y. M. (2018). Piretrinas y piretroides. Revista Ciencia Universitaria, 16(1).
Lees, R. S., Ambrose, P., Williams, J., Morgan, J., Praulins, G., Ingham, V. A., & Malone, D. (2020). Tenebenal: A meta-diamide with potential for use as a novel mode of action insecticide for public health. Malaria Journal, 19(1), 398. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-020-03493-0
Matsuda, K., Nakamura, H., Hamada, M., Nishimura, K., & Fujita, T. (1991). Quantitative structure-activity studies of pyrethroids: 26. Rates of development of knockdown and depolarizing effects induced by “kadethric” acid esters and related compounds. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 41, 178-189. https://doi.org/10.1016/0048-3575(91)90072-T
Nakao, T., & Banba, S. (2016). Broflanilide: A meta-diamide insecticide with a novel mode of action. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 24(3), 372–377. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2015.09.042
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (U.S.), Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Epidemiology Branch. (2024). Global manual for evaluating insecticide resistance using the CDC bottle bioassay. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ong, S. Q. (2016). Dengue vector control in Malaysia: A review for current and alternative strategies. Sains Malaysiana, 45(5), 777–785.
R Core Team (2023). R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria. https://www.R-project.org/
Rodríguez-Sanchez, I. P., Saldaña-Torres, D. R., Villanueva-Segura, O. K., Garza-Rodriguez, M. L., Gómez-Govea, M. A., Liang, G., & Ponce-Garcia, G. (2021). miRNAs of Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus 1762) conserved in six orders of the class Insecta. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 10706. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89764-6
Rouzé, R., Moné, A., Delbac, F., Belzunces, L., & Blot, N. (2019). The honeybee gut microbiota is altered after chronic exposure to different families of insecticides and infection by Nosema ceranae. Microbes and Environments, 34(3), 226–233. https://doi.org/10.1264/jsme2.ME18138
Salgado, J. F. M., Premkrishnan, B. N., Oliveira, E. L., Vettath, V. K., Goh, F. G., Hou, X., & Junqueira, A. C. M. (2024). The dynamics of the midgut microbiome in Aedes aegypti during digestion reveal putative symbionts. PNAS nexus, 3(8), 317.
Secretaría de Salud. (2014). NORMA Oficial Mexicana NOM-032-SSA2-2014, Para la vigilancia epidemiológica, promoción, prevención y control de las enfermedades transmitidas por vectores. Diario Oficial de la Federación.
Shen, N., Li, Y., Leviticus, K., Chang, X. L., Tang, T., Cui, L., & Zhao, C. Q. (2021). Effect of broflanilide on the phytophagous mite Tetranychus urticae and the predatory mite Typhlodromips swirskii. Pest Management Science, 77(6), 2964–2970. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6282
Sippy, R., Rivera, G. E., Sanchez, V., Heras, F., Morejón, B., Beltrán, E., & Neira, M. (2020). Ingested insecticide to control Aedes aegypti: Developing a novel dried attractive toxic sugar bait device for intra-domiciliary control. Parasites & Vectors, 13(1), 78. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-3954-y
Snetselaar, J., Rowland, M. W., Azizi, S., Mawa, B., Malone, D. J., & Kirby, M. J. (2023). Laboratory evaluation of broflanilide (TENEBENAL™) against Anopheles gambiae in Moshi, Tanzania–delayed mortality, cross-resistance, and residual efficacy. Frontiers in Tropical Diseases, 4, 1097189.
Snetselaar, J., Rowland, M. W., Azizi, S., Mawa, B., Malone, D. J., & Kirby, M. J. (2023). Laboratory evaluation of broflanilide (TENEBENAL™) against Anopheles gambiae in Moshi, Tanzania: Delayed mortality, cross-resistance, and residual efficacy. Frontiers in Tropical Diseases, 4, 1097189. https://doi.org/10.3389/fitd.2023.1097189
Sparks, T. C., Crossthwaite, A. J., Nauen, R., Banba, S., Cordova, D., Earley, F., & Wessels, F. J. (2020). Insecticides, biologics and nematicides: Updates to IRAC’s mode of action classification—A tool for resistance management. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 167, 104587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2020.104587
Sun, X. I., Wei, R., Li, L., Zhu, B., Liang, P., & Gao, X. (2022). Resistance and fitness costs in diamondback moths after selection using broflanilide, a novel meta‐diamide insecticide. Insect Science, 29(1), 188–198. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7917.12921
Tang, T., Hu, F., Wang, P., Fu, W., & Liu, X. (2021). Broflanilide effectively controls Helicoverpa armigera and Spodoptera exigua exhibiting diverse susceptibilities to chlorantraniliprole and emamectin benzoate. Pest Management Science, 77(3), 1262–1272. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6166
Trujillo-Rodríguez, G., Jiménez-Martínez, M. L., Flores Leal, J. A., Huerta García, R. E., de Lourdes Ramírez Ahuja, M., Rodríguez Sanchez, I. P., & Martínez Fierro, M. L. (2026). First Insights into the Comparative Transcriptomic Response of Field and Laboratory Aedes aegypti Strains to Partial-Mortality Concentration (< 50%) Imidacloprid and Broflanilide Exposure. Insects, 17(2), 217.
Young, S. J., Gunning, R. V., & Moores, G. D. (2006). Effect of pretreatment with piperonyl butoxide on pyrethroid efficacy against insecticide‐resistant Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Bemisia tabaci (Sternorrhyncha: Aleyrodidae). Pest Management Science, 62(2), 114–119. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.1134
Zaim, M., & Jambulingam, P. (2007). Global insecticide use for vector-borne disease control. World Health Organization.
Zhang, Q., Wang, Q., Zhai, Y., Zheng, H., & Wang, X. (2022). Impacts of imidacloprid and flupyradifurone insecticides on the gut microbiota of Bombus terrestris. Agriculture, 12(3), 389. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12030389