A susceptible strain of
Aedes albopictus
derived from the Gainesville strain (Florida, USA) was established in our laboratory. The larvicidal efficacies of the neurotoxic insecticides temephos, permethrin and the pure
cis and
trans-permethrin isomers and the microbial insecticide
Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis
(
Bti) against
Ae. albopictus were estimated and compared to a susceptible strain of
Aedes aegypti
. The larvicidal effect of insect growth regulator pyriproxyfen was also evaluated in both mosquito strains. The median lethal concentration/median emergency inhibition values for
Ae. aegypti and
Ae. albopictus, respectively, were: temephos, 3.058 and 6.632 ppb, permethrin, 3.143 and 4.933 ppb,
cis-permethrin, 4.457 and 10.068 ppb,
trans-permethrin, 1.510 and 3.883 ppb,
Bti, 0.655 and 0.880 ppb and pyriproxyfen, 0.00774 and 0.01642 ppb.
Ae. albopictus was more tolerant than
Ae. aegypti to all six larvicides evaluated. The order of susceptibility for
Ae. aegypti was pyriproxyfen >
Bti >
trans-permethrin > temephos > permethrin >
cis-permethrin and for
Ae. albopictus was pyriproxyfen >
Bti >
trans-permethrin > permethrin > temephos >
cis-permethrin. Because both species can be found together in common urban, suburban and rural breeding sites, the results of this work provide baseline data on the susceptibility of
Ae. albopictus to insecticides commonly used for controlling
Ae. aegypti in the field.
