Oxime Ethers: New Potent Insect Growth Regulators

Oxime ethers containing a 4-phenoxyphenoxy group in the molecules were synthesized and their insect growth regulating (IGR) activities were studied. Of these new IGR’s, propionaldehyde oxime O-2-(4-phenoxyphenoxy)ethyl ether and propionaldehyde oxime O-2-(4-phenoxy-phenoxy)propyl ether were found to be most effective, having much higher activities than metho-prene against larvae of Culex pipiens pallens and Musca domestica by the immersion method and medium method, respectively. In addition, the effects of steric isomerism of these compounds were examined; their IGR activities were found to have a close relationship to the juvenile hor-mone activity by the Galleria wax test.