Chemosensory inhibitors against agricultural and disease-transmitting insect pests

面粉甲虫和蚊子等害虫对粮食作物造成重大破坏，并传播疾病。然而，其他昆虫是至关重要的。例如，蜜蜂为数十亿美元的农作物授粉，寄生蜂(独居黄蜂)寄生害虫。杀虫剂是最常见的防治昆虫的方法，只有当大多数昆虫都敏感时才有效，而且它们不仅杀死易受影响的害虫，而且还能杀死有益的生物体。此外，卤化杀虫剂(如滴滴涕)正在环境中积累。人口密度正在增加，这增加了昆虫传播疾病的风险。对粮食、纤维、燃料和化学品的需求将越来越多地由农产品来满足。这些变化要求制定可持续、有效的虫害控制措施。我们建议研究行为调节剂(威慑剂、掩蔽剂或引诱剂)作为昆虫控制剂。昆虫的生命周期受到来自环境和每个物种成员的化学线索的巧妙控制。我们建议建立在我们发现的非卤化化合物的基础上，这些化合物可以显著改变害虫蛾对自然线索的行为反应。我们将重点研究导致作物损害或疾病传播的昆虫的行为，以及不会对昆虫造成急性毒性的化合物。这项研究的目标昆虫是：红粉甲虫(食品业的一个问题)、疟疾蚊子和有益昆虫(蜜蜂和寄生蜂)。我们将合成化合物并测试它们对害虫的抵抗力

Insect pests, such as flour beetles and mosquitoes, cause significant damage to food crops and transmit disease. Other insects, however, are vital. E. g., bees pollinate billions of dollars of crops, and parasitoids (solitary wasps) parasitize pest insects. Insecticides, the most common control against insects, are effective only if the majority of insects are susceptible, and they not only kill the susceptible pests, but also beneficial organisms. Furthermore, halogenated insecticides (e. g. DDT) are accumulating in the environment. Human population densities are increasing, and this increases the risk of insect-transmitted disease. The demand for food, fibres, fuel and chemicals will increasingly be satisfied by products from agricultural sources. These changes require the development of sustainable, effective insect control measures. We propose to research behavioural modulators (deterrents, masking agents or attractants) as insect control agents. Insect life cycles are exquisitely controlled by chemical cues from the environment and from members of each species. We propose to build on our discovery of non-halogenated compounds that significantly alter the behavioural responses of pest moths to their natural cues. We will focus on the behaviour of the insect that causes crop damage or disease transmission and on compounds that do not cause acute toxicity to the insect. Target insects for this study are: the red flour beetle (a problem for the food industry), malaria mosquito and beneficial insects (honey bees and parasitoids). We will synthesize compounds and test them against pest