ARS-33-1 



R3! 



SEP 1954 



United States Department of Agriculture 

 Agricultural Research Service 



PRELIMINARY TESTS OF SOME N-SUBSTTTUTED FORMAMIDES 

 AS INSECTICIDES AND MITICIDES 



S. I. Gertler and A. P. Yerington, Entomology Research Branch 



Thirty-two N-substituted formamides were tested as insecticides and 

 raiticides in the laboratory at Anaheim, Calif., from August 1952 to 

 December 1953. These compounds may be represented by the general formula 







(I * 

 H-C-1T 



Nil 



where R or R 1 is a hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, 

 or cyclic group. These compounds were prepared by reacting various 

 amines with formic acid under suitable conditions. The compounds were 

 tested against four species of insects and two mites. 



The following species were used: 



Armyworm ( Pseudaletia unipuncta (Haw.)) 



Bean weevil ( Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say)) 



Large milkweed bug ( On cope It us f asciatus (Dall.)) 



Pea aphid ( Macrosiphum pi si (Harris)) 



Citrus red mite ( Metatetranychus citri (McG.)) 



Two-spotted spider mite ( Tetranychus bimaculatus Harvey) 



The Insects were reared in the laboratory and the mites were 

 collected in the field. 



The methods of testing against all but the bean weevil and the 

 citrus red mite were described in the Bureau of Entomology and Plant 

 Quarantine E-877. For the bean weevil, dry beans infested with the 

 larvae were confined in 100-cc. petri dishes and exposed to the fumi- 

 gating action of 0,2 gram per dish of the compound adsorbed on cotton. 

 The citrus red mite was tested by spraying orange fruits infested with 

 adults with an acetone solution of the compound. 



