Control of the Invasive Agricultural Pest Pomacea canaliculata with a Novel Molluscicide: Efficacy and Safety to Nontarget Species

The
golden apple snail Pomacea canaliculata is an invasive pest that causes extensive damage to agricultural
production. P. canaliculata is also
an intermediate host of Angiostrongylus cantonensis, which causes human eosinophilic meningitis. In this study, the
molluscicidal activity and safety profile of a novel molluscicide
PBQ [1-(4-chlorophenyl)-3-(pyridin-3-yl)­urea] were evaluated. PBQ
exhibited strong molluscicidal potency against adult and juvenile
snails (LC50 values of 0.39 and 0.07 mg/L, respectively).
In field trials, PBQ killed 99.42% of the snails at 0.25 g a.i./m2. An acute toxicity test in rats demonstrated that PBQ is
a generally nonhazardous chemical. PBQ is also generally safe for
nontarget organisms including Brachydanio rerio, Daphnia magna, and Apis mellifera L. Transcriptomics analysis revealed
that PBQ had a significant impact on the carbohydrate and lipid metabolism
pathways, which provided insights into its molluscicidal mechanism.
These results suggest that PBQ could be developed as an effective
and safe molluscicide for P. canaliculata control.