USDA-ARS, Knipling-Bushland U.S. Livestock Insects Research Laboratory, Kerrville, TX 78028, USA.
J Med Entomol. 2023 Mar 6;60(2):346-355. doi: 10.1093/jme/tjad010.
The exotic southern cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini) (Ixodida: Ixodidae), since its eradication from the United States in 1943, made a strong incursion into Texas, beginning 2016. The pest is arguably the most economically detrimental ectoparasite of cattle, Bos taurus L., worldwide. Current R. (B.) microplus control mostly relies on conventional synthetic acaricides to which the ixodid has been developing resistance. Our study demonstrates that commercially available desiccant dust products, with and without bioactive botanical additives, are strongly lethal, when applied dry, against larval R. (B.) microplus in the laboratory, and after being released on dust-treated cattle. Deadzone (renamed Celite 610, a diatomaceous earth product), Drione (silica gel + pyrethrins + piperonyl butoxide synergist), and EcoVia (silica gel + thyme oil), each prophylactically prevented larval R. (B.) microplus from attaching to and feeding on stanchioned calves. Desiccant dust-based products are less likely than conventional synthetic acaricides to decline in terms of efficacy as a result of ixodid resistance, and other desiccant dust advantages, including extended residual, flexibility in terms of application methods, environmental, animal, and human safety, and possible compatibility with organic, or 'green', production systems, are discussed. We anticipate that the desiccant dusts we evaluated, and others not included in this study (e.g., kaolin, perlite, and silica gel) will be effective when used with other control tactics in integrated pest management approaches for controlling R. (B.) microplus (and other ixodid species).
外来的南方牛热蜱，Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus (Canestrini)（Ixodida: Ixodidae），自 1943 年从美国根除以来，于 2016 年开始强烈入侵德克萨斯州。这种害虫可以说是全世界对牛危害最大的经济有害的外寄生虫。目前，对 R. (B.) microplus 的控制主要依赖于传统的合成杀蜱剂，而这种蜱已经对其产生了抗药性。我们的研究表明，商业上可获得的干燥剂粉尘产品，无论是否含有生物活性的植物添加剂，在实验室中，当以干燥形式应用于幼虫 R. (B.) microplus 时，以及在喷洒于处理过的牛身上后，都具有强烈的致死性。Deadzone（更名为 Celite 610，一种硅藻土产品）、Drione（硅胶+除虫菊酯+增效剂胡椒基丁醚）和 EcoVia（硅胶+百里香油），每种产品都能预防性地阻止幼虫 R. (B.) microplus 附着和吸食牛身上的血液。与传统的合成杀蜱剂相比，干燥剂粉尘产品不太可能因蜱的抗药性而降低疗效，干燥剂粉尘产品的其他优势包括延长残留期、应用方法灵活、环境、动物和人类安全，以及可能与有机或“绿色”生产系统兼容，这些都在讨论之中。我们预计，我们评估的干燥剂粉尘以及本研究未包括的其他干燥剂粉尘（例如，高岭土、珍珠岩和硅胶）在与其他控制策略结合使用时，将在综合虫害管理方法中有效控制 R. (B.) microplus（和其他蜱种）。
