Beneficial insects selective toxicity

This selective toxicity of the larvae s weapon suggests practical applications. Western subterranean termites are economically significant pests, considered to be the most destructive of all California termites. A pesticide directed specifically against them and harmless to other creatures would be environmentally friendly and extremely useful. Exterminators could rid a house of termites without endangering the residents or destroying beneficial insects. The chemical nature of this toxin is still unknown. We can only wonder what substance can rapidly paralyze one kind of termite and leave other insects unscathed. 

The control of insects has, traditionally, been associated with interference with nerve function. This makes many insecticides relatively toxic to non-target organisms, and particularly beneficial insects and mammals, including man. Selectivity will not be reviewed in any detail as this is associated with a number of factors such as penetration to the target site... 

Menazon, also introduced by ICI (1961), is a much more selective systemic insecticide which specifically controls aphids. It is environmentally very acceptable because it does not harm beneficial insects like bees and ladybirds and is very safe because of its low mammalian toxicity. In common with many organophosphates where Y in our general structure is a heterocyclic group, it is made by reacting the appropriate phosphorus acid salt with a chloro-heterocyclic group. 

An ideal insecticide should not only be selectively toxic to the target insect pest but also should be non-toxic towards non-target beneficial insects at pesticidal doses. Beneficial insects fall under three categories, viz, (a) pollinators / productive insects that yield products of commercial importance. 

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