UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 

DEC 10 2012 

OFFICE OF CHEMICAL SAFETY 

AND POLLUTION PREVENTION 

MEMORANDUM 

SUBJECT: BEAD Chemical Profile for Registration Review: Indoxacarb (06771 0) 

FROM: 

THRU: 

TO: 

Monisha 

Biological 

Kaul, 

Analysis 

Biologist 

Branch 

{YI~ ~ ~ 

Jihad Alsadek, Economist ~A- A-.):1-~--.Ple~ie_ Science Information and Analysis Branch 

Economic 

Stephen Smearman, 

Analysis Branch 

Economist 

·~ 

L _ J .. ~ 

Biological and Economic Analysis Division (7503P) 

Arnet Jones, Chief 

Biological Analysis Branc 

Diann 

Science 

Sims, 

Information 

Chief ~ and Analysis Branch 

Economic 

TimothyKiely,Chief 

Analysis Branch ~ \,. "\J'-.: ~ Biological and Economic Anafysi Division (750 ) 

Katie Weyrauch, Chemical Review Manager 

Risk Management and Implementation Branch 5 

Pesticide Re-evaluation Division (7508P) 

Product Review Panel date: November 28,2012 

INTRODUCTION 

The purpose of this document is to convey usage information and a broad overview of the pest 

management roles of pesticides that are beginning to undergo registration review. The 

anticipated audience consists of the team of EPA staff currently evaluating the registration status 

of indoxacarb and eventually the general public. This document builds upon the data already 

provided in the "Usage and Label Use Data packages" that are also provided to Registration 

1 
Review teams by BEAD. The document is based on information and data available to BEAD as 

ofNovember 16, 2012. The year of initial registration for indoxacarb is 2000. 

Indoxacarb is a broad-spectrum insecticide that is in the oxadiazine class of chemistry, which 

blocks the voltage-dependent sodium-channel of insects. The Insecticide Resistance Action 

Committee lists indoxacarb in group 22. lndoxacarb is used primarily to control lepidopteran 

insects (e.g., caterpillars). It is also used to control some coleopteran (e.g. beetles) and 

homopteran (e.g. leafhoppers) pests. Indoxacarb is also used in bait formulations for several 

species of ants, cockroaches, and mole crickets. 

HISTORY OF BEAD ASSESSMENTS FOR INDOXACARB 

BEAD found three Section 18s in the BEAD document data base. One was an application 

request from 2007 from California to control beet armyworm on Swiss chard which was 

withdrawn. The other two were from 2003 which were issued, one from Georgia to control 

diamondback moth on collards and one from Massachusetts to control cranberry weevil in 

cranberries. Both have both expired. 

Benefits Assessments 

There were several benefits assessments (2003-2007) that included indoxacarb as an alternative. 

Assessments for methyl bromide, metam-sodium, chloropicrin, azinphos-methyl, phosmet, and 

carbofuran included indoxacarb in the list of alternatives for these chemicals across several sites. 

Because indoxacarb was a relatively new, reduced risk alternative at the time of the assessments, 

there were very little data rating indoxacarb as an alternative. However, for the AZM benefits 

assessments, indoxacarb was rated as having excellent control for plum curculio and cherry fruit 

fly in sweet and tart cherries and was the only alternative rated as excellent for control of plum 

curculio in apples as an alternative to AZM. 

Extension of Exclusive Use Review 

In 2008, BEAD conducted a review of the exclusive use period for indoxacarb for 19 minor 

crops: cabbage, bro_ccoli, peppers, head lettuce, leaf lettuce, pears, mint, southern pea, cranberry, 

mustard greens, plum, peach, cherry (sweet and sour), summer squash, cucumber, cantaloupe, 

spinach, and celery. (Brassard, 2008). BEAD concluded that the registrant's request for a three 

year extension for the exclusive use of indoxacarb was warranted because it was found to be a 

valuable tool for integrated pest management programs, a potential tool for resistance 

management and because there were few efficacious alternatives available for cranberries and 

collards. 

COMMON FORMULATIONS AND APPLICATION METHODS 

Indoxacarb is formulated as granular, impregnated materials, water dispersible granules, 

~· emulsifiable, flowable, soluble concentrates, and solution-ready-to-use. Application method 

~ types include broadcast, mound treatment, chemigation, spot-on, bait application, spot treatment, 

9. 

~ 

2 
outdoor general surface spray, perimeter treatment, foliar treatment, dilute, and soil broadcast 

treatment. 

USE SITES 

Agricultural Use Sites 

Indoxacarb is an insecticide registered for use on bush berries, cane berries, grapes, nut crops, 

stone fruits, pome fruits, spice crops, cucurbits, fruiting vegetables, leafy and stems vegetables 

(grown for greens and salads), root crop vegetables, com, peas, forage grasses, alfalfa, cotton, 

soybeans and peanuts. 

Non-Agricultural Use Sites 

Indoxacarb is an insecticide registered for use on herbaceous and ornamental plants, ornamental 

lawns and turf, ornamental woody shrubs and vines, ornamental trees, pets and animals in 

enclosures, households including private or commercial domestic dwellings and/or their 

contents, uncultivated non-agricultural areas, schools and buildings, commercial transportation 

facilities, food and feed processing plants and areas, eating establishments, food marketing, 

storage and distribution facilities, hospitals and related institutions, bathrooms, refuse and solid 

waste sites, and crack/crevice treatments. 

Agricultural Usage 

Figure 1 shows the use ofindoxacarb in pounds active ingredient (a.i.) on all crops for the time 

frame of2000-2011. The total use summed across all crops fluctuated from 2000 to 2011. 

Figure 1. Agricultural Usage Data for Indoxacarb in Pounds A.I. on all Crops (2000-2011). 

80,000 

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Source: Proprietary Data, 2000 -2011. 

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Figure 2 below provides usage data for the crops with the most use in pounds a.i. (broccoli, 

cotton, peanuts, soybeans, and tomatoes) for the period 2007-2011. 

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0 

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3 
Figure 2. Agricultural Usage Data for Indoxacarb Top Crops (2007-2011). 

Broccoli 

<ti. 

Cll 

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a. -.-Peanuts 

Soybeans 

Tomatoes 

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0 

0 

N 

00 

0 

0 

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en 

0 

0 

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Years 

0 

rl 

0 

N 

Other crops include: apples and peppers (5% each), lettuce and cabbage (4% each), cucumbers/cauliflower/alfalfa 

(2% each), and potatoes/watermelons/squash (1% each), and the remainder ofthe crops with available data account 

for less than 4% of the total for Other. 

Source: Proprietary Data, 2007-2011. 

From 2007-2011, the annual total agricultural usage averaged approximately 39,000 pounds a.i. 

for 558,000 treated acres with an overall average application rate of 0.07 lbs. a.i. per acre. 

Table 1, for the same time frame (2007-2011), shows the crops with the most use in terms of 

total pounds of active ingredient applied and total acres treated in acres. 

Table 1. Indoxacarb's Percent of Top Crops in Terms of Pounds Applied, TAT in Acres, 

and Application Rates in Pounds A.I. per Acre (2007-2011) 

Cmp ~ - --~ % Pounds A · lied %Total Area Treated A lication Rates 

Tomatoes 20 22 0.06 

Cotton 14 14 0.09 

Broccoli 13 14 0.06 

So beans 11 11 0.05 

Peanuts 11 8 0.10 

Source: Proprietary Data, 2007-2011 

4 
On average, the states with the most agricultural usage in terms of pounds a.i. applied are 

California (46%), Florida (17%), and Georgia (11 %), (Proprietary Data, 2007-2011). 

The available non-agricultural usage data sources did not report any usage for the nonagricultural use sites. 

Agricultural Usage by Crop Reporting District 

Another measure of usage is the use intensity. In this analysis, the use intensity is expressed as 

the average (2007-2011) pounds a.i. applied per 1,000 acres ofland in farms. This differs from 

the application rate, which is expressed as the pounds a.i. applied per treated area. The average 

application rate of 0.07 pounds per acre implies a rate of 70 pounds a.i. per 1,000 treated acres. 

In contrast, the maximum use intensity is less than 2 pounds per 1,000 acres of farmland. Figure 

3 spatially represents indoxacarb use intensity in the U.S. Red areas of the map indicate higher 

use intensity in California, Arkansas, Florida, and parts of Virginia. 

Figure 3. Indoxacarb Usage by Crop Reporting District (2007- 2011) 

Average Pounds Per 

1,000 Acres of Fanntand 

- <0.07 

0.07-0.16 

[=:J 0.17-0.48 

CJ 0.49- 1.06 

1.07-2 

5 
This is a map of agricultural pesticide usage at the Crop Reporting District (CRD) level prepared by 

BEAD for use in the Environmental Fate and Effects Division documents. These maps are used to 

help visualize where the pesticide being considered is most likely to be used and can be helpful in 

scenario selection and placing the exposure assessment in context. CRDs are boundaries created by 

USDA NASS which are aggregates of counties. Pesticide usage is displayed as average pounds 

(for the years 2007-2011) per 1,000 acres of farmland in a CRD to normalize for the variation in 

farmland between CRDs. Farmland acreage was obtained from USDA (2007). Farmland or "land 

in farms" is defined as follows: 

The acreage designated as "land in farms" consists primarily of agricultural land 

used for crops, pasture, or grazing. It also includes woodland and wasteland not 

actually under cultivation or used for pasture or grazing, provided it was part of 

the farm operator's total operation. Large acreages of woodland or wasteland 

held for nonagricultural purposes were deleted from individual reports during 

the edit process. Land in farms includes CRP, WRP, FWP, and CREP acres1

• 

Land in farms is an operating unit concept and includes land owned and 

operated as well as land rented from others. Land used rent free was reported as 

land rented from others. All grazing land, except land used under government 

permits on a per-head basis, was included as "land in farms" provided it was 

part of a farm or ranch. Land under the exclusive use of a grazing association 

was reported by the grazing association and included as land in farms. All land 

in American Indian reservations used for growing crops, grazing livestock, or 

the potential of grazing livestock was included as land in farms. Land in 

reservations not reported by reservation, individual American Indians or nonNative Americans was reported in the name of the cooperative group that used 

the land. In many instances, an entire American Indian reservation was reported 

as one farm (USDA, 2007). 

Usage is based on private market surveys of pesticide use in agriculture (Proprietary Data, 2007-

2011 ). The survey data are limited to the states that represent the top 80-90% of acreage for the 

individual crops; therefore, use may be occurring in regions outside the scope of the survey. CRDs 

showing no usage of pesticides may be due to either the lack of pesticide use in the region or nonparticipation in the agricultural surveys. In addition, across the years, there may be variations in the 

specific crops included in the CRD survey. This may result in a lower annual average for the CRD. 

This map displays ratio data (i.e., average pounds per 1,000 acres of farmland) summarized at a 

very high-level. Readers are strongly cautioned against trying to over interpret the map without 

examination of the underlying data. The underlying data may explain some of the many reasons 

that a Crop Reporting District may have a high value for a particular active ingredient such as 

significant acreage (compared with the CRD as a whole) of a crop or crops with a high application 

rate and frequency of application. The reader should pay particular attention to the figure legends 

and realize that a map prepared for a particular chemical is not directly comparable to a map 

prepared for a different chemical. Scale and units of measurement do matter and may be different 

between maps. 

BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS RELEVANT TO INDOXACARB 

Indoxacarb is in a relatively new chemical class, oxadiazine. It is a reduced risk pesticide and is 

considered an organophosphate replacement. This insecticide was initially registered for 

agricultural use on cotton along with a few fruit and vegetable crops but the number and variety 

1 CRP: Conservation Reserve Program; WRP: Wetland Reserve Program; FWP: Farmable Wetlands Program; 

CREP: Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program 

6 
of crops quickly expanded. Indoxacarb appears to be an important method of insect control in 

certain crops based on findings from previous emergency exemption and extension of exclusive 

use of data reviews. In addition, previously conducted benefits assessments found indoxacarb to 

be an alternative to several high risk pesticides (e.g. azinphos-methyl and methyl bromide). 

lndoxacarb is relatively safe for beneficial insects, which makes it an important part of integrated 

pest management programs (Brassard, 2008). 

Resistance studies including indoxacarb have had mixed results. There are a few cases listed on 

the Arthropod Pesticide Resistance Database (IRAC, 2012) indicating resistance issues with the 

oblique banded leaf roller and diamond-back moth. Other studies found either variable results or 

no resistance or cross-resistance (Pest Management Science, 2007; Zhoa, et al., 2006; Dunley et 

al., 2006). Past BEAD reviews have found indoxacarb to be potentially valuable for resistance 

management (Brassard, 2008). Overall, there is little evidence of a current widespread or an 

emerging resistance problem. 

DATA NEEDS RELEVANT TO BEAD'S FUTURE WORK ON INDOXACARB 

Additional information, in terms of pounds a.i. applied, average application rate, regional 

application, time of application, number of application per year on non-agricultural sites from the 

registrant would improve future BEAD assessments of the importance of indoxacarb and may be 

required as part of the registration review of this pesticide. Specifically, usage data is needed for 

pets and crack/crevice. 

CONCLUSION 

There has been a modest decline in the use of indoxacarb for the years 2000 through 2011. Use 

on tomatoes, broccoli, cotton and other crops has declined since 2007 while use on peanuts and 

soybeans has generally increased since 2007. This suggests that there are benefits for peanut and 

soybean produces and that the use of indoxacarb for tomato, broccoli, cotton and other crops has 

less benefit for producers of these crops. 

7 
REFERENCES: 

Brassard, D.W., 2008. Review of justification of extension of exclusive use period for 

indoxacarb. Unpublished EPA document. 

Dunley JE, Brunner JF, Doerr MD, Beers EH. 2006. Resistance and cross-resistance in 

populations of the leaf rollers, Choristoneura rosaceana and Pandemis pyrusana, in Washington 

apples. 7pp. Journal of Insect Science 6:14. Available Online: insectscience.org/6.14 

IRAC, 2012. Verified: November 21, 2012. 

IRAC, 2012. Arthropod pesticide resistance database. Online: 

http://www.pesticideresistance.com/index.php. Verified: December 5, 2012. 

Pest Management Science, 2007. Lack of cross-resistance to indoxacarb in insecticide-resistant 

Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: 

Yponomeutidae). PestinfoWild 63, 63-67. Available Online: 

http://wiki.pestinfo.org/w/index.php?title=Pest Management Science (2007) 63, 63-

67&oldid=l08702. Verified: November 21, 2012. 

Proprietary Data, 2000-2011. 

USDA, 2006-2010. NASS Crop Reporting Districts. Online: 

http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/arms/resourceregions/resourceregions.htm#nass. 

USDA, 2007. Census of Agriculture. Online: 

http://www .agcensus. usda. gov /Publications/2007 /index.asp. 

Zhao J-Z, Collins HL, Li YX, Mau RF, Thompson GD, Hertlein M, Andaloro JT, Boykin R, 

Shelton AM , 2006. Monitoring of diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) resistance to 

spinosad, indoxacarb, and emamectin benzoate. J Econ Entomol 99:176-181. Available Online: 

http://web.entomology.cornell.edu/shelton/publications/. Verified: November 21, 2012. 

8