Physiological Activities of Anti-Juvenile Hormone Agents Against Insects and Their Role For Devising Fourth Generation Insecticides: A Comprehensive Review

Abstract

To overcome those problems caused by repeated and indiscriminate uses of conventional insecticides, it is necessary to seek environmentally safe and low-cost alternatives for pest control. Among the effective alternatives are anti-JH compounds. The present articlewas prepared aiming to present an updated overview of different categories of compounds possessing anti-JH activity and their effects on survival, growth, development, metamorphosis, and reproduction of several insects of different orders. This article focused, also, on the effects of these compounds of other physiological processes in insects, such as polyphenism, behavior, diapause, metabolism, enzymatic activities, chemoreceptors and pheromone production, as well as their antifeedant effects against some insect pests. Compounds with anti-JH activity are considered as new representatives of IGRs lacking some disadvantages of juvenoid-type chemicals. In this review we described some advantageous uses of some anti-JH compounds, imidazoles in particular, in the sericulture and silk research fields. In addition, it shed some light on the action mechanisms of anti-JH agents and described the fate of them in the insect body. It is obvious from the present review that the practical use of anti-JH compounds in the pest management has been challenged by some limitations and restrictions. These compounds should be assessed against different insect pests under field conditions. However, these anti-JH agents can be considered as new leads for devising fourth generation insecticides. On the other hand, some of the anti-JH analogues of imidazoles have been successfully used in the practical production of natural silkin the world.