Effects of a new insect growth regulator, CGA-255'728, on the different stages of the cat flea (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae).

A new juvenile hormone mimic CCA-255'728, developed by Novartis, was tested for its efficacy on different life stages of the cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché). The compound was mixed in bovine blood at concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 ppb and fed to adult fleas using an artificial membrane system. Less than 7% of the eggs from fleas fed 10 and 100 ppb hatched, compared with >70% hatch in eggs laid by control fleas or fleas fed 1 ppb. Histological studies demonstrated that approximately 50% of the eggs from fleas fed 10 ppb contained unhatched larvae that died after completing embryological development. At 100 ppb, 24% of the fleas died as fully formed larvae within the egg, but at this concentration nearly 20% of fleas also died before embryogenesis was completed. In addition to embryonic and larval mortality, approximately 28% of eggs from the 100 ppb-treated group were deposited as empty shells. Evidently these eggs were crushed by the muscular action of the oviduct and yolk was expelled into the oviduct during oviposition. None of the test concentrations showed adulticidal effects over a 10-d period. Fecundity was significantly increased with increased concentrations of CGA-255'728 indicating that the compound mimicked the effect of juvenile hormone.