Insect spontaneous ultraweak photon emission as an indicator of insecticidal compounds

• Insect ultraweak photon emission intensity can be changed by beta-cypermethrin.
• Insect ultraweak photon emission intensity can be changed by insecticidal plant.
• The intensity change can be used for screening insecticidal plants.

The influence of beta-cypermethrin, a commercial insecticide, and Cicuta virosa L. var. latisecta Celak (Umbelliferae:Cicutal), an insecticidal plant, on the spontaneous ultraweak photon emissions from larvae of Spodoptera litura Fabricius and Zophobas morio Fabricius were studied. The increased percentages of spontaneous photon emission intensities from S. litura treated with 0.1 and 1 μg/ml beta-cypermethrin were both lower than those of the control in the 24 post-treatment hours, remarkable difference could also be observed during the same period from Z. morio treated with beta-cypermethrin at 0.156, 0.313 and 0.625 μg/ml. The increased percentages of spontaneous photon emission intensities from the two mentioned insects treated with 10,100 and 1000 μg/ml petroleum ether fraction of C. virosa L. var. latisecta, which displayed little activity against whole insects, could also be changed noticeably. The present study indicated that change in the intensity of spontaneous ultraweak photon emission from insect could be used as a novel method for screening insecticidal compounds with very low content in plant.