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. 2021 Dec 10;26(24):7487. doi: 10.3390/molecules26247487

Table 2.

Local and commercial diatomaceous earths (DEs) evaluated against immature and adult stages of arthropods of medical and veterinary relevance. In addition to the mortality rates, the SiO2 content (%) and the diameter of particles (μm) are reported. NA = not available data; IP 46 = entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae.

Pest/Vector Species Family Order Developmental Stage Tested DE SiO2 Content (%) Ø particles (µm) Formulation Mortality Rates References Notes
Aedes
aegypti 		Culicidae Diptera Adults Keep Dry® 86 NA DE DE + NDE + GIP46 + DE IP46 + DE + NIP46 + DE+ G DE LT50: 10.4 days
DE + N LT50: 8.9 days
DE + G LT50: 9.8 days
IP46 + DE LT50: 5.8 days
IP46 + DE + N LT50: 5.8 days
IP46 + DE+ G LT50: 5.9 days		 [109] G: Graxol® (vegetable oil)
N: Naturol® (mineral oil)
Cimex
lectularius 		Cimicidae Hemiptera All stages Alpine®Mother Earth®Pro-Active®DX13TM dust NA NA Dry LD50 (g m−2) Alpine®: 4.48 after 24 h
LD50 (g m−2) Mother Earth®: 0.18 after 24 h
LD50 (g m−2) Pro-Active®: 2.26 after 24 h
LD50 (g m−2) DX13TM dust: 0.17 after 24 h		 [90] DX13TM was horizontally transferred from dead bed bugs to the untreated one
Cimex
lectularius 		Cimicidae Hemiptera All stages DX13TM aerosol NA NA Aerosol Residual mortality (%) DX13TM aerosol: 81% after 21 days (72 h) [90] Mortality of bugs on the treated mattress after 32 weeks was 75, 90, and 100% after 24, 48, and 72 h
Cimex
lectularius 		Cimicidae Hemiptera Adult DE 51 NA NA Dry LC50 (mg) 24.4 and 5.1 at 48 h and 216 h [108] LC50 was calculated based on the transmission from a treated bug to an untreated one
Cimex
lectularius 		Cimicidae Hemiptera Nymph + Adult DE 51 NA NA Dry LC50 (mg) unexposed nymph 8.1
LC50 (mg) treated adults 6.4		 [108] Treated adults get in contact with untreated nymphs
Cimex
lectularius 		Cimicidae Hemiptera Nymph/Females NA NA NA Dry Low mortality rates [115] The addition of alarm pheromone increased the movement of bed bugs throughout the Petri dish
Cimex
lectularius 		Cimicidae Hemiptera Adult Bed Bug Killer® NA NA Dry (A) LT50 7.42 days
(B) LT50 8.12 days		 [113] (A) Resistant strain
(B) Susceptible strain
Cimex
lectularius 		Cimicidae Hemiptera All stages Mother-Earth D® NA NA Dry 94% of mortality after 10 days [114] Alpine® (0.25% Dinotefuran + 95% Diatomaceous Earth) has been also investigated, but its efficacy was lower than DE
Triatoma
infestans 		Reduviidae Hemiptera Nymphs Keep Dry® 86 NA DE
DE + oil
DE + IP46
DE + IP46 + oil		 DE: 7.5% after 10 days
DE + oil: 5.0% after 10 days
DE + IP46: 100% after 10 days
DE + IP46 + oil: 100% after 10 days		 [117] Cumulative mortality
DE + IP46: LT50 = 5.7 days
DE + IP46 + oil: LT50 = 4.5 days
Triatoma
infestans 		Reduviidae Hemiptera Eggs Keep Dry® 86 NA DE
DE + oil
DE + IP46
DE + IP46 + oil		 DE + oil eclosion: 92.5% H.R. 75%
DE + oil eclosion: 83% H.R. >98%
DE + IP46 + oil eclosion: 95% H.R. 75%
DE + IP46 + oil no eclosion H.R. > 98%		 [119] Oil: Graxol®
Triatoma
infestans 		Reduviidae Hemiptera Nymphs Keep Dry® 86 NA M. anisopliae (IP 46) + DE + oil (a) cumulative mortality: 100%
(b) cumulative mortality: 5%		 [119] (a) H.R. > 98%, after 10 days and 24 h of exposition
(b) H.R. = 75%, after 10 days and 24 h of exposition
Triatoma
infestans 		Reduviidae Hemiptera All stages NA NA NA DE +
B. bassiana 		Nymph 89.5–100%, MLT 5.1–8.3 days
Adult 87.5%, MLT 10 days		 [120] MLT = mean lethal time
Ambloyomma
americanum 		Ixodidae Ixodida Larvae + Nymph DeadZone 85 NA Dry Larval mortality: 100% after 6 h
Nymphal mortality: 100% after 24 h		 [128] The DE was compared to a silica-gel based product
Ambloyomma
americanum 		Ixodidae Ixodida Larvae + Nymph DeadZone 85 NA Dry Larval mortality: 84% after 24 h
Nymphal mortality: 44.0% after 24 h		 [128] Highest dose: 10% of DE
Ceratophyllus
idius 		Ceratophyllidae Siphonaptera All stages Drione Crawling Insect Killer NA NA Dry Lower number of fleas in nest treated with DE [129] 38.12% diatomaceous earth as well as 0.2% pyrethrins and 1.0% piperonyl butoxide
Dermanyssus
gallinae 		Dermanyssidae Acarina All stages FisiocontrolTM 86.2 <500 DE in water suspension Topical mortality 95.4%
Residual mortality 97.39%		 [111] Highest dose (10% of DE)
Dermanyssus
gallinae 		Dermanyssidae Acarina All stages FisiocontrolTM 86.2 <500 DE + mechanical cleaning Gradual reduction of mite population, over 90% at days 21–28 [111] DE dose 10%
Dermanyssus
gallinae 		Dermanyssidae Acarina All stages PosturaSec® 86.2 200 DE in water suspension Immature stages: 98.9% (both doses)
Adults: 98.8% (5% DE)
100% (10% DE)		 [110]
Dermanyssus
gallinae 		Dermanyssidae Acarina All stages Silicosec®Ewazid® Silgur F46FS® Istant WFS 90.0 W NA NA DE in water suspension Silicosec® = 36.5% (24 h)
Ewazid® Silgur F46 = 31% (24 h)
Fossil Shied® Istant White = 100% (24 h)
Fossil Shield® 90.0 White = 92.3% (24 h)		 [112] After 48 h, all the tested DE caused 100% of D. gallinae mortality
Dermanyssus
gallinae 		Dermanyssidae Acarina All stages Diamol KMTSilicoSec®FS 90.0®ProtectIt NA NA Dry Diamol KMT = 60% (LT50 = 3 days)
SilicoSec® = 55% (LT50 = 3 days)
Fossil Shield 90.0® = 30% (LT50: 3 days)
ProtectIt® = 57% (LT50: 3 days)		 [93] The addition of the entomopathogenic fungi do not change the repellency of DEs
Dermanyssus
gallinae 		Dermanyssidae Acarina All stages Diamol NA NA Dry DE + Beauveria bassiana Mortality 89.1% (H.R. 75%)
Mortality 78.6% (H.R. 85%)		 [94] Synergistic interactions when applied simultaneously
Dermanyssus
gallinae 		Dermanyssidae Acarina Adult female Diamol SilicoSec® NA NA Dry Low efficacy compared to a pure synthetic amorphous silica products [130]
Menacanthus
stramineus 		Menoponidae Phthiraptera All stages Organic D/Earth® NA NA DE mixed with sand (1:9) 60.4%–95.2% [126]
Onythonyssus
sylvarium 		Macronyssidae Acari All stages NA NA NA DE suspended in deionized water Low efficacy, it reduced the mite population only if applied for 2 consecutive weeks. [125]
Onythonyssus
sylvarium 		Macronyssidae Acari All stages Organic D/Earth® NA NA DE mixed with sand (1:9) 29.1–97.5% [126] Data refer to control over 4 weeks of dust box use
Onythonyssus
sylvarium 		Macronyssidae Acari All stages Food-grade DE NA NA Food-Grade DE mixed with sand (1:9) When dust boxes were used, the northern fowl mite populations on flocks grew slowly (<100 mites) [127]
Protocalliphora spp. Calliphoridae Diptera All stages Drione Crawling Insect Killer NA NA Drione Crawling Insect Killer Lower number of fleas in nests treated with DE [129] 38.12% DE + 0.2% pyrethrins + 1.0% piperonyl butoxide
Rhipicephalus
microplus 		Ixodidae Ixodida All stages Keep Dry® 86 NA IP 46 + DE (pellets) The combination effectively suppressed the population of R. microplus and reduced the female oviposition period [121] Pellets: Vermiculite (AgroFloc) + DE (KeepDry®) + SiO2