Chemosterilization of Earias fabia

Males of Earias jabia (Cramer) became sterile when their pupae were dipped for 30–60 min in 0.5–0.75% aqueous solutions of thiotepa or when adults were treated topically with 12.5 µg/male of the same compound. Doses required for sterilizing the female were substantially higher than those for the male, and only adults could be sterilized without mortality. Topical treatment of larvae gave moderate sterility in both sexes but mortality was high. Thiotepa residues could be removed partly from the pupae by rinsing them in water. Adults that emerged from washed pupae remained sterile and contained no residues of thiotepa 24 h posttreatment. Six other aziridinyl compounds were active chemosterilants in pupal dips but their toxicity at sterilizing doses was higher than that of thiotepa.