Effect of Acetamiprid, a Neonicotinoid Insecticide, on Locomotor Activity of the American Cockroach
Laboratory Physiology, Ecology and Environment (P2E), University of Orleans, USC-INRAE 1328, 1 rue de Chartres, 45067 Orleans, France
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Insects 2024, 15(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15010054
Submission received: 5 November 2023
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Revised: 30 December 2023
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Accepted: 10 January 2024
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Published: 12 January 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Insect Pest and Vector Management)
Simple Summary
Acetamiprid, which is a neonicotinoid, is a cyano-substituted insecticide. It is commonly used due to its rapid insecticidal activity. Acetamiprid has been described as a partial agonist of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors expressed on the thoracic and dorsal neurons of the American cockroach. However, previous electrophysiological studies have demonstrated that not all neonicotinoids display the same modes of action on insects. In this study, we analysed the effect of acetamiprid on the locomotor activity of the American cockroach and compared our results with previously published data for thiamethoxam and clothianidin, which are nitro-substituted neonicotinoid insecticides. We demonstrated that the three neonicotinoids had different effects on the locomotor activity. Overall, these data add to the understanding of the mode of action of neonicotinoid insecticides.
Abstract
Toxicological studies have shown that the American cockroach Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus) is a classical model for studying the mode of action of commonly used insecticides. In a previous study, we demonstrated that thiamethoxam and clothianidin decreased locomotor activity in an open-field-like apparatus. Here, we tested the effect of the neonicotinoid acetamiprid when applied orally, topically, or injected into the haemolymph. We found that acetamiprid was also able to impair locomotor activity in the open-field-like apparatus. When treated with acetamiprid, a strong alteration in locomotor activity was observed 1 h, 24 h, and 48 h after haemolymph and topical applications. Oral application induced an impairment of locomotor activity at 24 h and 48 h. A comparison of the present data with our previously published results showed that neonicotinoids were more active when injected into the haemolymph compared to oral and topical applications. These findings increased our understanding of the effect of neonicotinoid insecticides on insect locomotor activity, and demonstrated that the cyano-substituted neonicotinoid, acetamiprid, was able to alter cockroach locomotor activity.
Keywords:
insect; cockroach; locomotor activity; insecticide; neonicotinoid; acetamiprid
