BENZODIOXOLE-1,3-BENZODIOXOLE DERIVATIVES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON THE REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY OF INSECTS

Alkyl ethers of methylenedioxy analogs of obtusastryene or benzyl-1,3-benzodioxole derivatives (BBDs) and related benzylphenols have been shown to interfere with various phases of reproduction in insects. BBDs have also been shown to interfere with sex attractancy, to induce precocious development, and to antagonize juvenile hormone (IH) functions in insects. Because representative BBDs were reported to show low toxicity to mammals and to be negative in assays testing for potential mutagens, these compounds held much promise to be environmentally safe insect chemosterilants. The mode of action of BBDs does not involve blocking or competition for putative JH receptor sites on follicular cells or hemolymph JH binding proteins. However, BBDs were shown to interfere with (1) in vitro biosynthesis and release ofJH from corpora allata of Mediterranean fruit fly females, and (2) microtubule assembly in insects. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.*