An insecticide is a chemical used against insects.

They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry, and general home use. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind the increase in agricultural productivity in the 20th century.[1] Nearly all insecticides have the potential to significantly alter ecosystems; many are toxic to humans; and others are concentrated in the food chain. The classification of insecticides is done in several different ways: Systemic insecticides are incorporated by treated plants. Insects ingest the insecticide while feeding on the plants. Contact insecticides are toxic to insects brought into direct contact. Efficacy is often related to the quality of pesticide application, with small droplets (such as aerosols) often improving performance. Natural insecticides, such as nicotine, pyrethrum, and neem extracts are made by plants as defenses against insects. Nicotine-based insecticides are still being widely used in the US and Canada, however they are barred in the EU. Plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs) are insecticidal substances produced by plants after genetic modification. For instance, a gene that codes for a specific Baccilus thuringiensis biocidal protein is introduced into a crop plant's genetic material. Then, the plant manufactures the protein. Since the biocide is incorporated into the plant, additional applications, at least of the same compound, are not required. Inorganic insecticides are manufactured with metals and include arsenates, copper compounds and fluorine compounds, which are now seldom used, and sulfur, which is commonly used. Organic insecticides are synthetic chemicals that comprise the largest numbers of pesticides available for use today.

Mode of actionhow the pesticide kills or inactivates a pestis another way of classifying insecticides. Mode of action is important in predicting whether an insecticide will be toxic to unrelated species, such as fish, birds, and mammals.

Classes of insecticides
Organochlorides The insecticidal properties of the best-known representative of this class of insecticides, DDT, was made by the Swiss Scientist Paul Mller. For this discovery, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1948.[5] DDT was introduced on the market in 1944. The contemporary rise of the chemical industry facilitated the large-scale production of DDT and related chlorinated hydrocarbons. DDT functions by opening the sodium channels in the nerve cells of the insect. Organophosphates and carbamates The organophosphates are another large class of synthetic insecticides. These also target the insect's nervous system. Organophosphates interfere with the enzymes acetylcholinesterase and other cholinesterases, disrupting nerve impulses, killing or disabling the insect. Organophosphate insecticides and chemical warfare nerve agents (such as sarin, tabun, soman, and VX) work in the same way. Organophosphates have an accumulative toxic effect to wildlife, so multiple exposures to the chemicals amplifies the toxicity.

Carbamate insecticides have similar toxic mechanisms to organophosphates, but have a much shorter duration of action and are, thus, somewhat less toxic. Pyrethroids In order to mimic the insecticidal activity of the natural compound pyrethrum another class of pesticides, pyrethroid pesticides, has been developed. These compounds are nonpersistent sodium channel modulators, and are much less acutely toxic than organophosphates and carbamates. Compounds in this group are often applied against household pests. Neonicotinoids Neonicotinoids are synthetic analogues of the natural insecticide nicotine (with a much lower acute mammalian toxicity and greater field persistence). These chemicals are nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonists. Broadspectrumsystemic insecticides, they have a rapid action (minutes-hours). They are applied as sprays, drenches, seed, and soil treatmentsoften as substitutes for organophosphates and carbamates. Treated insects exhibit leg tremors, rapid wing motion, stylet withdrawal (aphids), disoriented movement, paralysis, and death.[9] Imidacloprid may be the most commonly used neonicotinoid. It has recently come under scrutiny for its deleterious effects on honeybees, and its potential to increase the susceptibility of rice to planthopper attacks. Ryanoids Ryanoids are synthetic analogues with the same mode of action as ryanodine, a naturally occurring insecticide extracted from Ryania speciosa (Flacourtiaceae). They bind to calcium channels in cardiac and skeletal muscle, blocking nervous transmission. Only one such insecticide is currently registered, Rynaxypyr, generic name chlorantraniliprole.