Long Lasting Organic Semiochemical Formulation to Effectively Manage Blood Sucking Diptera.

Project Summary: SPLAT BAC Plus is a unique controlled-release larvicide designed to suppress populations of multiple species of mosquitoes, such as those that transmit malaria, dengue, and West Nile virus (WNV). This CRP proposal seeks to establish SPLAT BAC Plus as an effective, economically viable control strategy for use in integrated vector management (IVM) programs and for control of nuisance mosquitoes around the globe. SPLAT BAC Plus has several advantages over previous larvicides: 1) It contains a combination of larvicidal agents with different modes of action: Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), B. sphaericus (Bsp) [recently renamed Lysinibacillus sphaericus]—two bacteria that destroy the gut of mosquitoes that ingest them—and an insect growth regulator (IGR), such as methoprene or pyriproxyfen, that prevents larvae from developing into adults. This combination drastically reduces the risk of resistance compared to single-action larvicides. While there are products on the market combining Bti and Bsp, the inclusion of an IGR in SPLAT BAC Plus will further inhibit the development of resistance and greatly extend the field life of the larvicide. 2) SPLAT BAC Plus includes components that promote larval attraction and feeding on the formulation—intensifying their exposure to the Bti, Bsp, and IGR contained within it—and oviposition attractants (attractants for egg-laying females). As point sources of SPLAT BAC Plus float at the surface of treated water, these attractants are released into the air, enticing female mosquitoes to lay their eggs preferentially at that site. 3) SPLAT BAC Plus can be applied to potential larval habitats under dry conditions ahead of rainfall, a major advantage over most larvicides, which must be applied shortly after these sites fill with water to catch mosquito larvae at a susceptible stage. 4) Following application, SPLAT BAC Plus cures and becomes rainfast, becoming activated when the surfaces are submerged for a few days, detaching and floating to the water's surface and releasing its attractants. After this point, SPLAT BAC Plus remains buoyant and effective for up to 5 months, considerably longer than the 1–2 week-field life associated with older Bti/Bsp larvicides. 5) SPLAT BAC Plus contains environmentally safe larvicides and semiochemical attractants incorporated in an inert matrix composed of food-safe ingredients. To achieve global commercialization of SPLAT BAC Plus, ISCA Technologies intends to pursue the following Specific Aims: 1) Obtain the required regulatory approvals to begin sales of SPLAT BAC Plus in the US and begin penetration of target international markets (e.g., Brazil, Tanzania); 2) Foster consumer support and buy-in via demonstration trials of SPLAT BAC Plus with targeted distributors of mosquito control products, pest control operators (PCOs), and mosquito control districts; and 3) Utilize SPLAT BAC Plus to launch a more diversified product line of mosquito control technologies, designed to conform to the different needs of various mosquito control groups and consumers, such as varying target species, environmental and safety concerns, and difficulties with resistance to different control agents.