Chemosterilization of the Female Boll Weevil

Forty-three compounds were tested for chemosterilant activity by feeding them to adult Anthonomus grandis Boheman; three compounds, 5 fluorouracil, picolinaldehyde thiosemicarbazone, and isoquinaldehyde thiosemicarbazone, reduced fecundity to 4% or less of the controls with no batch of eggs and less than 15% mortality during 1-week post treatment. Partial recovery of fecundity and fertility occurred during the 2nd week post treatment with these compounds. Of 8 compounds tested in combination with busulfan (1,4-butanediol dimethanesulfonate), only 0.08-0.1% busulfan with 0.4-0.5% hempa showed promise. Treatment with this combination reduced fecundity to about 0.2 adult progeny per treated female crossed with untreated males, permanently sterilized males, and caused less than 50% mortality in 3 weeks.