(19) TZZ Z_T (11) EP 2 699 096 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.: of the grant of the patent: A01N 65/00 (2009.01) A01N 43/90 (2006.01) 03.05.2017 Bulletin 2017/18 A01N 47/28 (2006.01) A01N 25/00 (2006.01) A01N 47/34 (2006.01) A01N 43/40 (2006.01) (2006.01) (21) Application number: 12774208.8 A01P 7/04 (22) Date of filing: 30.03.2012 (86) International application number: PCT/US2012/031437 (87) International publication number: WO 2012/145145 (26.10.2012 Gazette 2012/43) (54) METHOD FOR MOSQUITO CONTROL VERFAHREN ZUR BEKÄMPFUNG VON MOSQUITOS PROCÉDÉ DE LUTTE CONTRE LES MOUSTIQUES (84) Designated Contracting States: • Y. K. CHUNG ET AL: "Evaluation of biological and AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB chemical insecticide mixture against Aedes GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO aegypti larvae and adults by thermal fogging in PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR Singapore", MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY, vol. 15, no. 3, 1 September 2001 (30) Priority: 21.04.2011 US 201161477781 P (2001-09-01), pages321-327, XP055128259, ISSN: 0269-283X, DOI: (43) Date of publication of application: 10.1046/j.0269-283x.2001.00311.x 26.02.2014 Bulletin 2014/09 • Y.K. CHUNG ET AL.: ’Evaluation of biological and chemical insecticide mixture against Aedes (73) Proprietor: Dobson, Stephen aegypti larvae and adults by thermal fogging in Lexington, KY 40503 (US) Singapore’ MED. VET. ENTOMOL. vol. 15, no. 3, 2001, pages 321 - 327, XP055128259 (72) Inventor: Dobson, Stephen • Stephen L. Dobson: "Declaration under 37 C.F,R, Lexington, KY 40503 (US) and 1.132", 3 March 2015 (2015-03-03) pages 1-96, • Declaration under 37 C.F.R. chapter 1.132 on the (74) Representative: Appleyard Lees IP LLP US application 13/636889 15 Clare Road • DEVINE ET AL.: ’Using adult mosquitoes to Halifax HX1 2HY (GB) transfer insecticides to Aedes aegypti larbal habitats’ vol. 106, no. 28, July 2009, pages 11530 (56) References cited: - 11534 JP-A- 5 320 001 US-A1- 2010 247 485 • FRESNO BEE: "New mosquito control methods US-B1- 6 512 012 pit the pests against themselves in Clovis", , vol. 6, September 2015 (2015-09), • G. J. DEVINE ET AL: "Using adult mosquitoes to • Norris, D. E.; Shurtleff, A. C.; Touré, Y. T. and transfer insecticides to Aedes aegypti larval Lanzaro, G. C.: "Microsatellite DNA habitats", PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL Polymorphism and Heterozygosity Among Field ACADEMYOF SCIENCES, vol. 106,no. 28, 14July and Laboratory Populations of Anopheses 2009 (2009-07-14), pages 11530-11534, gambiae s.s. (Diptera: Culicidae)", Journal of XP055133968, ISSN: 0027-8424, DOI: Medical Entomology, vol. 38, no. 2 2001, pages 10.1073/pnas.0901369106 336-340, Note: Within nine months of the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent in the European Patent Bulletin, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to that patent, in accordance with the Implementing Regulations. Notice of opposition shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). EP 2 699 096 B1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) (Cont. next page) EP 2 699 096 B1 • Hamady et al.: "Colonized Aedes albopictus and • Mustermann, L. E.: "Unespected genetic its sexual prformance in the wiled: implications consequences of colonization and for SIT technology and containment", Parasites inbreeding:allozyme tracking in Culicidae and Vectors, vol. 6, no. 1 2013, page 206, (Diptera)",Ann. Entomology Soc. Am., vol.87, no. • BENEDICT ET AL.: ’Colonisation and mass 2 1994, pages 157-164, rearing: learning from others’ MALARIA JOURNAL vol. 8, no. SUPL. 2, S4, • HOWELL, P. J. ET AL.: ’Male mating biology’ MALARIA JOURNAL vol. 8, no. SUPPL 2, S8, 2 EP 2 699 096 B1 Description FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 [0001] The present invention relates to a method and a formulation for mosquito control and, in particular, a method and a formulation for mosquito control which includes, but is not limited to, using mosquitoes or other insects for delivering agents, e.g., insecticides such as a larvicide, to an insect population to thereby control the insect population. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 10 [0002] Malaria, dengue and dengue haemorrhagic fever, West Nile Virus (WNV) and other encephalites, human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), human filariasis, dog heartworm and other pathogens important to animals are on the increase. These diseases are transmitted via insects and, in particular, mosquitoes. Methods for controlling mosquito populations include the use of pesticides and vector control methods. 15 [0003] Existing insecticidal control methods rely upon field technicians, who fail to find and treat many breeding sites, which can be numerous, cryptic and inaccessible. Additional methods consist of area-wide treatment via airplane or wind-assisted dispersal from truck-mounted foggers. Unfortunately, the latter fail to treat many breeding sites and are complicated by variable environmental conditions. Barrera et al., "Population Dynamics of Aedes aegypti and Dengue as Influenced by Weather and Human Behavior in San Juan, Puerto Rico," PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 5:e1378, 20 2011, describing the effects of various breeding sites on disease. [0004] Surveys of natural and artificial water containers demonstrate mosquitoes and other arthropods to be highly efficient in finding, inhabiting and laying eggs in variously sized, cryptic water pools, including tree holes and gutters high above ground level. [0005] One prior formulation or method for treating mosquito populations includes the use of dissemination stations 25 which are deployed in a target environment. The dissemination stations may be laced with a pesticide, including, but not limited to, a juvenile hormone analog. The dissemination station may include a box or other structure which attracts female mosquitoes. The mosquitoes enter the dissemination station, become exposed to the pesticide or hormone, and carry that hormone back to affect other mosquitoes by mating. An example of this mosquito control is described in the article by Devine et al., entitled "Using adult mosquitoes to transfer insecticides to Aedes aegypti larval habitats," PNAS, 30 vol. 106, no. 28, July 14, 2009. [0006] In tests of another dissemination station, researchers showed that males in the wild that acquire the pesticide from a station can transfer the pesticide to females during copulation. The females receiving pesticide particles via venereal transfer were then shown to cause a significant inhibition of emergence in larval bioassays. This was reported in the article by Gaugler et al, entitled "An autodissemination station for the transfer of an insect growth regulator to 35 mosquito oviposition sites," Med. Vet. Entomol. 2011.JP5320001 A discloses the use of adult mosquitoes, in particular adult females, exposed to juvenile hormones to transfer insecticides comprising larvicides to their larval habitats, leading to repeated contamination of the rest of adult mosquitoes at their resting sites, which causes the persistence of the insecticide, interfere with the metamorphosis of the juvenile stages and kill larvae without affecting the adult mosquitoes. In view of continuing mosquito problems, as noted, additional tools are required to control mosquitoes that are important 40 as nuisance pests and disease vectors. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] The present invention is directed to a method for insect population control, comprising: rearing male adult 45 insects in an artificially controlled environment; exposing the adult insects to one or more insecticides comprising at least one larvicide to thereby produce insects carrying a larvicide, and releasing the insects in an area with an indigenous insect population, to thereby control the insect population. [0008] The present invention is also directed towards a male adult insect with larvicide for insect population control, said insect comprising: an adult insect reared in an artificially controlled environment carrying a larvicide, wherein the 50 insect carries the larvicide after being exposed to the larvicide, and wherein said larvicide affects juvenile survival or interferes with metamorphosis of juvenile insects to adulthood. [0009] Additional features of method and male adult insect are defined in the appended dependent claims. [0010] Disclosed is a novel, self-delivering, insecticidal formulations and delivery techniques. The formulations, in one form, are larvicide treated insects, such as male mosquitoes. The insecticidal formulations can control medically important 55 mosquitoes. These medically important mosquitoes include mosquitoes having an economic or medical importance to animal or human health. Medically important mosquitoes include those listed in the Appendix to this disclosure. [0011] Disclosed are formulations and delivery techniques relating to a new larvicide treatment for males, as a formu- lation which can be used to control a mosquito population. The formulation can be generated by exposing adult insects, 3 EP 2 699 096 B1 such as mosquitoes and, in particular, male mosquitoes, to a pesticide, such as a juvenile hormone which affects juvenile survival or interferes with metamorphosis of juvenile mosquitoes and has relatively little impact on adult mosquitoes. Advantageously, the adult insects are exposed to the pesticide in a controlled, factory environment. The factory-reared or captured from the wild adult insects which have been exposed to the pesticide are referred to as direct treated 5 individuals (DTI). The DTI are then released into an environment in which one wishes to control the mosquito population. The DTI control a mosquito population by interacting with untreated individuals (e.g., mating), such that the pesticide, e.g., a larvicide, is communicated to other individuals (known as Indirectly Treated Individuals; (ITI)).In the present claimed method and composition the pesticide is a larvicide. The control method uses compounds that affect imma- ture/juvenile stages (eggs, larvae, pupae) more than adults.