Field and laboratory studies were conducted to determine the developmental, reproductive, and insecticidal effects of fenoxycarb, a carbamate possessing strong juvenoid hormone activity on several cotton insect pests and house flies. Fenoxycarb, unlike other carbamates, does not inhibit cholinesterase and is considered to be nonneurotoxic. Fenoxycarb acts through both contact and injection, exhibiting ovicidal, developmental, and reproductive effects.

Previous work showed that fenoxycarb suppressed population development and altered normal population structure of the cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii), silverleaf whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and the tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens). Fecundity studies conducted this year showed that exposure of adult house flies to fenoxycarb reduced reproduction by 70%. Preexposing adult male tobacco budworm to fenoxycarb resulted in a 2-fold synergism when treated with cypermethrin. Ovicidal applications of fenoxycarb provided a 50% reduction in egg hatch. Exposure of tobacco budworm larvae to fenoxycarb reduced growth and delayed pupation. Good activity was demonstrated against the immature stages of the silverleaf whitefly.

The current approach to insect control relies upon a "reactive" strategy, "curing" an insect problem once it occurs by emphasizing high insect mortality. This strategy may result in insect resistance and secondary pest outbreaks. An alternative to this strategy , a "pro-active" approach, would rely strongly upon the use of a juvenoid insect growth regulator (fenoxycarb) possibly in combination with Bacillus thuringiensis to emphasize insect control through management and modulation of insect populations over time. The use of fenoxycarb in this manner allows the beneficial insects to play a larger role in the control of the major cotton pests. Growth and life cycle effects demonstrated by fenoxycarb complement the low dose mixture of conventional insecticides strategy developed earlier to prevent resistance.