Afidopyropen, a novel insecticide originating from microbial secondary extracts

Afidopyropen, a novel insecticide, is a derivative of pyripyropene A, which is produced by the filamentous fungus Penicillium coprobium. Afidopyropen has strong insecticidal activity against aphids and is currently used as a control agent of sucking pests worldwide. In this study, we summarized the biological properties and field efficacies of its derivatives against agricultural pests using official field trials conducted in Japan. Afidopyropen showed good residual efficacies against a variety of aphids, whiteflies and other sucking pests under field conditions. Furthermore, toxicological studies revealed its safety profiles against nontarget organisms, such as the honeybee, natural enemies and other beneficial insects, as well as mammals. Thus, afidopyropen is a next-generation agrochemical for crop protection that has a low environmental impact.