Lethal effects of erythritol on the mosquito Aedes aegypti Linnaeus (Diptera: Culicidae)

The yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti Linnaeus is a major vector of several viruses that cause disease in humans and other animals. Conventional insecticides have been used for vector control, but can be problematic because Ae. aegypti and other mosquitoes can evolve resistance to them and they can negatively impact non-target insect species. Therefore, there is a strong demand for novel methods in Ae. aegpyti vector control strategies. Our study investigated whether the sugar alcohol, erythritol, has potential as a novel insecticide for mosquito control. Erythritol is lethal to several dipteran species yet has been deemed safe for consumption by humans and other mammals. We tested the impact of erythritol on Ae. aegypti by comparing the longevity of larvae reared in erythritol-treated water and adult females maintained on erythritol. We also tested whether sucrose supplementation impacts the effects of erythritol on adult longevity. For larvae, erythritol exposure at concentrations as low as 0.1 m is lethal, with LC50 at 48 hr of 0.11 m for early stage (3-day old) larvae and 0.42 m for late stage (5-day old) larvae. For adult females, maintenance on erythritol is lethal at concentrations as low as 0.5 m, with LC50 at 72 hr of 1.60 m. Further, a mixture of 1 m sucrose/1 m erythritol solution is more lethal to adult females than 1 m erythritol solution alone, suggesting that erythritol in combination with sucrose could comprise a toxic sugar bait. These results provide promising evidence for erythritol as a novel larvicide and adulticide for Ae. aegypti.