A pyrethroid insecticide used on a wide variety of crops to control a broad range of pests. It has a low aqueous solubility and a low volatility. It is considered to be non-mobile, moderately persistent in soil systems but less so in water systems. With the exception of birds, where ecotoxicity is relatively low, zeta-cypermethrin has a moderate to high toxicity to most terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity. It is also has a high acute oral toxicity to humans and is considered to be an endocrine disruptor
zeta-Cypermethrin is used in the season-long insecticide programs for the control of Drosophila suzukii on blackberries of United states. Evaluation of selected insecticides against caterpillar pests in conventional and Bt sweet corn.
The production of zeta-cypermethrin involves the synthesis of cypermethrin followed by an epimerization process to selectively enrich the S-enantiomer of the alcohol moiety. This process adjusts the cis/trans ratio in the cyclopropane ring to achieve the desired stereoisomeric composition. Cypermethrin is produced through a multi-step chemical synthesis that begins with chrysanthemic acid, a compound structurally related to natural pyrethrins found in chrysanthemum flowers. The acid is chemically modified to enhance its stability and insecticidal potency. The key step involves esterification with a cyanophenoxybenzyl alcohol derivative, forming the active cypermethrin molecule—a synthetic pyrethroid.
Contact and stomach action. Acts mainly on the nervous system. Sodium channel modulator.
