Efficacy of three pyrethroids against Leptotrombidium fletcheri (Acari: Trombiculidae) infected and noninfected with scrub typhus.

Toxicities of three pyrethroids, d-phenothrin, decamethrin, and permethrin, were evaluated in the laboratory against Leptotrombidium fletcheri (Womersley & Heaslip). The susceptibilities between populations of the species infected and noninfected with scrub typhus were investigated. The three pesticides exhibited different toxicities to the chiggers. D- phenothrin was the most toxic, followed by decamethrin, then permethrin. There were no significant differences between susceptibilities of the infected and noninfected populations. Log-probit regression lines indicated that the species was most sensitive to increasing concentrations of d-phenothrin and least sensitive to permethrin. The results show that the three pesticides are potential candidates for chemical control of L. fletcheri. It may be possible in the future to conduct similar bioassays only with the noninfected population, thus reducing risk of infection to workers conducting the bioassays. Similarly, there may not be a need to separate field-collected chiggers into the two populations before performing the bioassays.