Characterization of N-arylamide insecticides to control populations of the green aphid, Myzus persicae

Authors: O'HARA, FLINN - University Of Florida; MCCOMIC, SARAH - University Of Florida; LIU, ZHILIN - University Of Florida; CREMADES, ALEXANDRA - University Of Florida; DAVIS, JEFFREY - Louisiana State University; Norris, Edmund; BLOOMQUIST, JEFFREY - University Of Florida; SWALE, DANIEL - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/16/2025
Publication Date: 5/29/2025
Citation: O'Hara, F.M., Mccomic, S.E., Liu, Z., Cremades, A., Davis, J.A., Norris, E.J., Bloomquist, J.R., Swale, D.R. 2025. Characterization of N-arylamide insecticides to control populations of the green aphid, Myzus persicae. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 212(106459). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2025.106459.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pestbp.2025.106459

Interpretive Summary: The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is one of the most damaging insect pests in agriculture due to photosynthate removal and horizontal transmission of plant viruses during feeding. We tested recently synthesized N-arylamide compounds for their ability to induce rapid knockdown and acute mortality to M. persicae. Contact toxicity was assessed through leaf dip bioassays and data indicate 2 of the select compounds are highly toxic to aphid pests. In addition to toxicity, altering probing behavior of aphids is an advantageous end point as specific behaviors, such as sampling plant cell contents, are directly correlated to acquisition and transmission of non-persistent plant viruses. Thus, we aimed to test if these two compounds altered probing and feeding behavior via electrical penetration graph (EPG) recordings. EPG analysis showed compounds 1 and 2 significantly (P < 0.01) increased the time to first probe, the time required for initialization of piercing and sampling plant cell contents, known as a potential drop (pd), and significantly (P < 0.0001) reduced the percentage of aphids that continued to initiate a new probe with potential drops after 1 h due to toxicity. Taken together, N-arylamides 1 and 2 represent novel aphicide scaffolds that provide a dual approach to controlling economic losses stemming from aphid feeding by inducing mortality at concentrations similar to commercialized aphicides and alter probing behaviors relevant to virus transmission.

Technical Abstract: The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae Sulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is one of the most damaging insect pests in agriculture due to photosynthate removal and horizontal transmission of plant viruses during feeding. We tested recently synthesized N-arylamide compounds for their ability to induce rapid knockdown and acute mortality to M. persicae. Contact toxicity was assessed through leaf dip bioassays and data indicate compounds 1 (C9H3Cl2F7N2O) and 2 (C10H3Cl2F8NO) are highly toxic with 4-h LC50 values of 44.7 ng/mL [95% CI: 28.51–71.86; Hillslope: 0.94; r2 : 0.87] and 54.1 ng/mL [95% CI: 29.44–100.5; Hillslope: 0.70; r2: 0.84], 34 respectively. In addition to toxicity, altering probing behavior of aphids is an advantageous end point as specific behaviors, such as sampling plant cell contents, are directly correlated to acquisition and transmission of non-persistent plant viruses. Thus, we aimed to test if 1 and 2 altered probing and feeding behavior via electrical penetration graph (EPG) recordings. EPG analysis showed 1 and 2 significantly (P < 0.01) increased the time to first probe, the time required for initialization of piercing and sampling plant cell contents, known as a potential drop (pd), and significantly (P < 0.0001) reduced the percentage of aphids that continued to initiate a new probe with potential drops after 1 h due to toxicity. Taken together, N-arylamides 1 and 2 represent novel aphicide scaffolds that provide a dual approach to controlling economic losses stemming from aphid feeding by inducing mortality at concentrations similar to commercialized aphicides and alter probing behaviors relevant to virus transmission.