Precocene from Ageratum houstonianum

Phytochemicals, such as the precocenes, isolated from Ageratum houstonianum [126], interfere with JH biosynthesis. In sensitive insect species, application of these dichromenes to larval instars results in precocious metamorphosis to sterile adults or sterility in adult females following treatment. Pesticides based on these compounds would be useful in the control of insects which are primarily destructive in their immature stages. Other phytochemicals which potentially function as "antijuvenile hormones" include dimethyl sciadinonate, isolated from the leaves of avocado, Persea americana Mill [127, 128], Ingestion of this... 

Other representatives of this group of compounds (such as compounds 13 and 14) from Ageratum houstonianum have antijuvenile hormone activity and cause precocious production of adult insects. Because of these properties, the compounds are called precocenes. Female insects that are exposed to these compounds never reach sexual maturity. External application of the compounds to second-instar larvae of the milkweed bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus, causes the nymphs to molt to normal third- and fourth-instar larvae and then to precocious, sterile adults (Proksch and Rodriguez, 1983, 1984 Rodriguez, 1983). 

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