Effects of the Botanical Compound p-Anisaldehyde on Horn Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Repellency, Mortality, and Reproduction

The horn fly, Haematobia irritans irritans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae), is an economically important obligate blood feeder that mainly attacks cattle in Europe, Asia, and North and South America. As horn fly resistance to conventional insecticides becomes more common, alternative control tactics, such as application of bioactive botanical Natural Products are being investigated. p-Anisaldehyde has been found in many plant species, and it has shown effects that include mortality, attractancy, and interference with host seeking. The series of bioassays we developed was effective for assessing a range of horn fly responses to chemicals and probably those of some other filth fly species. In our study, p-anisaldehyde was lethal to horn fly eggs at concentrations of 0.00001%, and possibly less. Mixed into cow manure, 5000-20,000 ppm p-anisaldehyde reduced horn fly larvae by 85.4%-100%. p-Anisaldehyde caused some immobilization of adult horn flies when exposed by direct contract with spray droplets and by fumigation. Mortality was 90%-100% in response to 5%-10% concentrations by 30 min, and LD50 and LD90 values are reported for five times from 30 min-4 h. Complete horn fly mortality was achieved by fumigation with 0.75% p-anisaldehyde by 3 h in an enclosed space, and we determined that fumigation was more (≈12.5-fold) lethal to adult horn flies than sprayed droplets. Although horn flies were not repelled by p-anisaldehyde in static air tube olfactometers, the compound completely deterred feeding from cotton pads soaked in bovine blood in response to concentrations of 0.6% and greater in ventilated containers. Although horn fly control is not likely to use fumigation methods, p-anisaldehyde might be useful for adult control using sprays and egg and larval control using feed-through techniques. Exposure to sublethal concentrations of p-anisaldehyde did not affect horn fly egg production and hatching. Aside from causing different responses in the same species of arthropod, p-anisaldehyde has a variety of effects on other arthropods. Research on this compound as a potentially multifaceted pest management tool has been sparse. This study, for example, is the first to demonstrate p-anisaldehyde's feeding deterrent and immobilization properties and effects on different life stages.