PMEP Home Page Pesticide Active Ingredient Information Insecticides and Miticides fenitrothion (Sumithion) to methyl parathion methoprene (Altosid) methoprene (Altosid) Chemical Profile 4/85

methoprene (Altosid) Chemical Profile 4/85

                                     methoprene

      CHEMICAL NAME:      Isopropyl (2E-4E)-11-methoxy-3,7,11-trimethyl-
                          2,4-dodecadienoate (56)

      DEC INGRED. CODE:

      TRADE NAME(S):      Altosid, Apex, Diacon, Dianex, Kabat, Minex,
                          Pharorid, Precor (56).

      FORMULATION(S):  Altosid SR-10, a special slow release formulation
      containing 10% active ingredient, has been developed for mosquito
      control.
      -Altosid Briquets, a special slow release formulation containing 4%
         active ingredient.
      -Altosid CP-10, a premix containing 10% active ingredient, to be
         incorporated into cattle supplements for feed-through hornfly control.
      -Apex 5E for control of sciarid flies in mushroom houses.
      -Diacon for control of stored products pests on peanuts.
      -Dianex Residual Spray to control stored product pests in food and
         tobacco processing plants and warehouses.
      -Kabat Tobacco Protector for protection of stored tobacco from
         damage by cigarette beetle and tobacco moth.
      -Minex 5E for control of leafminers in chrysanthemums grown in
         greenhouses or other shaded growing areas.
      -Pharorid Bait premix for pharoah's ant control registered in the
         United Kingdom and U.S.
      -Precor 5E for control of indoor dog and cat flea populations.
      -Precor Fogger for control of indoor dog and cat flea populations (56).

      TYPE:               Insect growth regulator

      BASIC PRODUCER(S):  Zoecon Corp.
                          975 California Ave.
                          Palo Alto, CA 94304

      STATUS:             General use

      PRINCIPAL USES:  Insect growth regulator (especially active against
      coleoptera, diptera, homoptera, and siphonaptera).  Selective
      mosquito larvicide (56).


                                   I.  EFFICACY

      Important Pests Controlled:  Flies, moths, ants, boll weevil, lice,
      leafhoppers, mosquitoes, plant hoppers, cucumber beetle, cigarette
      beetle, tobacco moth and others (8a).

           Especially effective against flies.  Stable but non-persistent.
      Effective at very low rates.  Growth regulators such as these cause the
      insects not to mature to the adult stage of growth so they cannot
      reproduce.  Shows little or no effect on the adult or pupal stage of
      insect development (8a).

           Unlike ordinary insecticides, this relatively non-persistent
      chemical exhibits morphological rather than direct toxic activity (56).


                             II.  PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

      MOLECULAR FORMULA:  C19 H34 O3 (62)

      MOLECULAR WEIGHT:   310.5 (62)

      PHYSICAL STATE:     Amber liquid (pure compound) (62)

      BOILING POINT:      100 C/0.05 mmHg (pure compound) (62)

      VAPOR PRESSURE:     3.15 mPa at 25 C (pure compound) (62)

      SOLUBILITY:         1.4 mg/l water (pure compound) (62)


                          III.  HEALTH HAZARD INFORMATION

      OSHA STANDARD:  None established

      NIOSH RECOMMENDED LIMIT:  None established

      ACGIH RECOMMENDED LIMIT:  None established

      TOXICOLOGY

           A.  ACUTE TOXICITY

               DERMAL:  LD50 = 3500 mg/kg, nonirritating to skin (rabbit) (62).
               ORAL:    LD50 = >34600 mg/kg (rat), 5000-10000 mg/kg (dog) (62).

               INHALATION:  LC50 = >210 mg/l (rat) (56)

               EYES:    Nonirritating to eye (rabbit) (62)

           B.  SUBACUTE AND CHRONIC TOXICITY:

           In 2-yr feeding trials no methoprene-related effects were observed:
      with rats at 5000 mg/kg diet; with mice at 250 mg/kg diet.  No effect was
      observed at the highest rates tested: in 3-generation reproduction
      studies in rats (2500 mg/kg diet); teratogenicity in rabbits (500 mg/kg)
      or rats (1000 mg/kg); mutagenicity in rats (2000 mg/kg) (62).


                        IV.  ENVIRONMENTAL  CONSIDERATIONS

           Little or no hazard to birds and fish.  No biological magnification.
      No phytotoxicity to date (1).
           Somewhat toxic to fish.  Shrimp and crabs may be killed.  Relatively
      non-toxic to non-target species (8a).
           Acute static fish toxicity showed TL50's of 4.62 ppm on bluegill;
      4.39 ppm on trout (106 ppm when water is aerated); and greater than 100
      ppm on channel catfish (56).

      Approximate Residual Period:  Relatively nonpersistent (1).


                   V.  EMERGENCY AND FIRST AID PROCEDURES

           The chemical information provided below has been condensed
      from original source documents, primarily from "Recognition and
      Management of Pesticide Poisonings", 3rd ed. by Donald P.  Morgan,
      which have been footnoted.  This information has been provided in
      this form for your convenience and general guidance only.  In
      specific cases, further consultation and reference may be required
      and is recommended.  This information is not intended as a sub-
      stitute for a more exhaustive review of the literature nor for the
      judgement of a physician or other trained professional.

           If poisoning is suspected, do not wait for symptoms to develop.
      Contact a physician, the nearest hospital, or the nearest Poison
      Control Center.

           To be developed.


                        VI.  FIRE AND EXPLOSION INFORMATION

           To be developed.


                                VII.  COMPATIBILITY

           Ordinarily would not be mixed with other materials (1).  Do not
      mix with oil.  Do not combine with other pesticides (8a).


                            VIII.  PROTECTIVE MEASURES

           To be developed.


                       IX.  PROCEDURES FOR SPILLS AND LEAKS

                     IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, CALL, DAY OR NIGHT
                                  (800) 424-9300
                      PESTICIDE TEAM SAFETY NETWORK/CHEMTREC


                               X.  LITERATURE CITED

       1.  Harding, W.C.  1979.  Pesticide profiles, part one: insecticides
               and miticides.  Univ. Maryland, Coop. Ext. Serv. Bull. 267.
               30 pp.

       8a. Thomson, W. T.  1976.  Agricultural chemicals - book 1:
               insecticides, acaricides, and ovicides.  Revised ed.  Thomson
               Publ., Indianapolis, IN.  232 pp.

      56.  Farm Chemicals Handbook, 70th ed.  1984.  R. T. Meister, G. L.
               Berg, C. Sine, S. Meister, and J. Poplyk, eds.  Meister
               Publishing Co., Willoughby, OH.

      62.  The Pesticide Manual:  A World Compendium, 7th ed.  1983.  C.R.
               Worthing, ed.  The British Crop Protection Council, Croydon,
               England.  695 pp.

      4/10/85

To Top

For more information relative to pesticides and their use in New York State, please contact the PMEP staff at:   5123 Comstock Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853-0901 (607) 255-1866

This site is supported, in part, by funding from the