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In agricultural chemistry’s long timeline, Lambda-Cyhalothrin arrived on the scene in the late twentieth century, a product of creative leaps in pyrethroid research. Early ideas for synthetic insecticides borrowed from the natural world, copying structures found in chrysanthemum flowers. Pyrethroids as a group kicked off a new age for synthetic pest control, and out of that batch, Lambda-Cyhalothrin stands out for how it mixed potency with helpful safety margins. Over the years, debates around pest resistance and environmental safety forced industry and regulators to take a harder look at how and where these solutions fit. Researchers have tracked shifts in pesticide use since synthetic pyrethroids appeared, seeing a visible move away from older chemicals like organophosphates. Pesticide innovators kept tuning the lambda isomer, aiming for the sharpest bite against target insects with the weakest punch to non-target life.
Lambda-Cyhalothrin comes from the pyrethroid class, designed to deal damage to insect nervous systems. Manufacturers offer it in emulsifiable concentrates, wettable powders, granules, and even slow-release capsules. The core of the product holds high insecticidal activity while blending in other inert ingredients that help it spread or stick to crops. Some markets ask for high-purity versions, since impurities tend to raise toxicity concerns. Patented blends often feature Lambda-Cyhalothrin paired with other active ingredients to cover a wider range of pests, aiming for cost savings and faster action. Formulators tune mixtures based on climate, crop type, and application machinery. Across continents, regulations demand different formulations, pushing producers to tweak recipes for specific regions.
At room temperature, Lambda-Cyhalothrin shows up as a pale yellow, viscous liquid, giving off a faint chemical smell. Its molecular structure is built to stick to both plant surfaces and insect cuticles, thanks to long hydrocarbon chains and a cyano group, making it fat-soluble—and almost insoluble in water. Its melting point sits above 45°C, which helps during formulation and storage. The compound remains stable in most common solvents but breaks down when exposed to ultraviolet light for long periods, a quirk that can affect how long it stays active after spraying. To beat this, creative chemists use light-protective additives and encapsulation. Lambda-Cyhalothrin's vapor pressure sits low, giving it staying power on leaves after application.
Agrichemical firms care about purity and isomeric ratios, and quality specs almost always demand purity upwards of 95% for technical-grade Lambda-Cyhalothrin. The product carries clear signals about target pests, recommended crops, and rates per hectare. World health agencies have set maximum residue limits (MRLs) on produce, so suppliers label products with instructions to keep residues below these marks. Labels warn about personal protective equipment, drift potential, and safe re-entry intervals for workers. Route of entry—skin, lungs, mouth—must show on each bottle, along with antidote instructions and first-aid details. Some national rules demand disclosure of solvents and surfactants on the label, staying transparent about possible allergen or environmental impact risks.
The guts of Lambda-Cyhalothrin’s synthesis call on an esterification reaction between cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl alcohol and a cyclopropanecarboxylic acid chloride, both synthesized in separate steps involving common laboratory reagents. These reactions need tight temperature control and careful neutralization to lock in the correct isomeric form—since the insecticidal power sits mainly in the S-isomer. Removal of leftover starting materials and purification by crystallization or chromatography round out the process before the technical concentrate makes its way to the formulating plants. Waste streams contain organic solvents, some toxic or flammable, so responsible producers recycle or incinerate byproducts. Over the years, chemists have cut solvent use, choosing greener pathways where the cost or yield matches earlier approaches.
Lambda-Cyhalothrin breaks down in the field mostly by hydrolysis, light exposure, and microbial activity in the soil. These reactions chop the molecule into smaller fragments, reducing toxicity but sometimes creating intermediate chemicals that also deserve toxicity checks. In research labs, chemists play with the benzyl or cyclopropane pieces, swapping them to boost selectivity or further cut mammalian toxicity. Some efforts attach extra groups for slow release or to improve rain resistance, but regulatory hurdles slow the rush to market. Analytical chemists with access to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry have mapped out dozens of breakdown products and learned how soil, pH, and sun all shape its fate.
Trade names for Lambda-Cyhalothrin flood the global market, usually shaped by region or formulator. Syngenta’s “Karate” sits near the top of recognition charts, along with names like “Icon,” “Warrior,” and various locally-branded generics. Some labels combine Lambda-Cyhalothrin with other pesticide actives to stretch the product’s reach or fight pest resistance cycles. On chemical registries, it goes by names like 1α(S)-cyano-3-phenoxybenzyl-3-(2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-enyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropane-1-carboxylate. Farmers often use “Lambda” or “LC” in daily talk.
Worker safety lands near the front of every discussion about Lambda-Cyhalothrin. Handling the technical material asks for gloves, masks, and eyewear, since skin and airway contact cause tingling or irritation. Vapors can spark headaches in unventilated spaces. On the farm, spraying means tracking wind speed to prevent drift, keeping children and animals away during and after application. Most countries set strict buffer zones near waterways, since aquatic life faces real risks from runoff. Storage areas must stay cool, dry, and locked, with signs and spill response kits in place for emergencies. Training keeps accidental poisonings rare but not unknown—improved field support, QR-code labels, and hotline access have cut accident rates in some regions. Most workplaces run regular health checks for those regularly exposed to pesticides. Disposal of expired or unwanted product remains a challenge in the developing world, so outreach programs for safe collection and incineration stretch every year.
Growers use Lambda-Cyhalothrin across a range of crops—cotton, rice, corn, fruits, and many vegetables. The molecule shines brightest against lepidopteran and homopteran insects eating young plants or laying eggs on fruit. Its quick knockdown effect and short plant persistence win it a place in integrated pest management systems, where spraying only happens at certain crop growth stages to save beneficial insects. Public health programs have turned to Lambda-Cyhalothrin in mosquito net impregnation and pest control around homes, aiming at malaria and dengue risk. Sometimes, resistance management calls for alternating it with unrelated pesticides, since some pest populations show growing tolerance after years of exposure. Grain storage facilities dust or spray it to fend off beetles and moths. Cut flower and ornamental growers appreciate its lack of visible residue, but demand careful timing before harvest to meet residue safety limits.
Research teams at crop protection companies and universities keep pushing Lambda-Cyhalothrin’s boundaries. Formulators try adding drift-reducing agents, sticker-spreaders, or UV blockers, tweaking application rates or tank-mix compatibility. Analytical chemists track environmental movement, using isotope labeling and modern detectors to follow the chemical through water, soil, and livestock. Field trials in pests with rising resistance rates collect live samples, run bioassays, and screen for resistant genes to shape future recommendations. Some labs look at sub-lethal effects on bee navigation or colony strength, a topic of growing attention in recent years. Reviews of consumer safety focus on dietary intake studies and monitoring of real-world residue levels in market produce. Community outreach teams collect report cards from end users, tweaking label language or pictorial warnings when confusion leads to accidental misuse.
Studies on Lambda-Cyhalothrin’s toxicity cover every angle—from acute rat testing to long-term studies in birds, fish, and honey bees. Across mammals, oral and dermal doses trigger nervous system symptoms: tremors, muscle spasms, strange walking, and short-lived skin numbness. Its low water solubility keeps much of the risk off livestock drinking sources, yet some fish and aquatic invertebrates show extreme sensitivity at parts-per-billion levels. This calls for buffer strips along irrigation canals and stricter spray timing rules during fish spawning seasons. Bee studies mix short-term lab tests with long-term colony observations, hinting at moderate hazard if exposed during peak bloom. Regulatory arms use no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAELs) from dozens of studies to set legal safety margins. Some researchers express concern about “inert” additives in commercial products, since these sometimes alter absorption or persistence.
Lambda-Cyhalothrin stands at a crossroads, balanced between industry need and environmental challenge. Farmers still call for reliable tools as pest populations shift with climate and land-use change. At the same time, governments keep tightening access due to wildlife and groundwater impact fears. Crafting new versions with built-in biological degradability or precision delivery—think smart capsules that burst only in the insect gut—could extend the molecule’s shelf life in world markets. Gene-based resistance testing helps inform rotation schedules, slowing pest adaptation. Startups and global firms invest in greener formulations and digital farm systems that predict optimal application timing, chasing lower doses and reduced side effects. Orphan crops with scant pesticide options could benefit from niche Lambda-Cyhalothrin blends, granting smallholders improved yields. Sustained agricultural science funding, smarter stewardship, and honest dialogue with affected communities set the course for this chemistry’s future role in feeding and protecting people.
Ask anyone who’s fought a battle with bugs in their garden or listened to farmers talk about saving crops from a swarm—the subject of pesticides pops up fast. Among all the options, lambda-cyhalothrin shows up in toolkits both big and small. Its reputation comes mostly from its punch against a long list of pests. Growing up in a farming area, I saw how a single bad year with armyworms could ruin months of hard work, and folks around me started paying attention to solutions like this one.
Most people don’t think twice about what goes into those neat bags of vegetables at the supermarket. A lot rides on keeping bugs away from crops. Lambda-cyhalothrin comes from a class of chemicals known as pyrethroids. These are modeled after compounds found in chrysanthemum flowers, tweaked to last longer and stand up to the weather. Farmhands rely on it for its knockdown effect on insects like aphids, beetles, bollworms, and leafhoppers. The substance gets mixed with water, sprayed onto plants, and works on the insect’s nervous system. Bugs stop feeding, fall off, and don’t return in numbers that can threaten a harvest.
It isn’t just cornfields and orchards. Lambda-cyhalothrin shows up in garden centers and home improvement stores because everyday folks worry just as much about mosquitoes, wasps, ants, and cockroaches. Used correctly, it keeps an outdoor barbecue or a blooming rose patch free from infestations. Unlike some old-school chemicals, newer pyrethroids break down fairly fast, especially in sunlight, which means less long-term buildup in the soil or water. Regulatory agencies like the U.S. EPA keep a close watch on this sort of thing, making sure application rates stay within safe limits.
No pesticide comes without trade-offs. Stories about overuse drift through every rural community—someone getting a bit too eager with the sprayer, fish kills reported near ditches, or bees dropping in orchards after a fresh application. Lambda-cyhalothrin, by design, targets nervous systems in bugs, but in larger doses, it causes trouble for aquatic life and pollinators. That means it takes training and experience, not just a quick read of the label, to keep it from drifting to the wrong place or washing downstream.
Science keeps rolling out fresh research, and regulatory bodies keep looking at the numbers. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has become a popular topic at farm meetings. IPM uses a mix of targeted spraying, crop rotation, pest monitoring, and beneficial insects to keep outbreaks in check. Farmers cut down on pesticide use without losing their investment, while home gardeners share tips about spot treating problem spots instead of blanketing yards. Companies have started dropping more instructions right on the packaging or via QR codes, nudging everyone toward smarter, safer choices.
People working outdoors every day shape their tools around the challenges they see. The folks I grew up with never just trusted a single product—they asked neighbors, read up, listened to agricultural extension officers, and looked for warning signs in their own fields. That kind of caution and sharing becomes more important as weather swings get wilder and new pests appear. Lambda-cyhalothrin remains a useful tool, but it works best in hands that pay attention to both the promise and the problems that can come along for the ride.
Lambda-cyhalothrin shows up in a lot of bug sprays and treatments, from backyard pest control to the big fields where crops grow. As a synthetic pyrethroid, it’s made to imitate natural insect-fighting compounds found in chrysanthemums. Because it works fast and sticks around for a while, plenty of folks see it as a go-to tool. Yet as common as this stuff might be, many still wonder if it’s a risk to people and animals at home.
From reading through EPA reports and scientific journals, the main thing that jumps out is dosage and exposure. Spraying lambda-cyhalothrin straight out of the bottle, sloshing it without gloves, or leaving residue on kitchen counters obviously brings more risk than the light touch used by a pro. Direct skin contact, breathing the spray, or swallowing trace residue can bring trouble, especially for kids, pets, or anyone with asthma or sensitivities.
In my own experience, plenty of folks look past the label, assuming that any garden or home product on store shelves is as harmless as a bottle of window cleaner. That trust doesn’t always match reality. A neighbor once sprayed his backyard with a product containing lambda-cyhalothrin, hoping to keep the bugs off his tomatoes. Within hours, his dog—usually full of energy—developed vomiting and tremors. The vet pointed right at the pesticide. That story is not unique.
Lambda-cyhalothrin targets the nervous systems of insects. At much higher doses, it impacts mammals in a similar way. That means people or animals who get exposed to high concentrations can experience tingling, numbness, headaches, tiredness, or, with big mistakes, even seizures and breathing trouble. Pets, especially cats and smaller dogs, seem to get the worst of it, due to smaller size and tendency to lick their paws.
Testing by the EPA and similar agencies found that using the product as directed usually avoids these dangers. Still, “safe” in their sense means the risk drops pretty low, not that it vanishes. The EPA classifies lambda-cyhalothrin as “slightly hazardous” to humans and “moderately toxic” to pets. That’s not a ban, but it should give pause for anyone spraying it near where animals and kids play.
Reading the label is the best starting point, but not the finish line. Only mix the amount you plan to use. Wear gloves, long sleeves, and even a mask if any spraying drifts in the wind. Keep all pets and children indoors until the spray dries, then wash their paws and shoes if they walk in treated spots later. Store pesticides up high—or, even better, in a locked cabinet.
Plenty of gardens thrive by skipping chemical controls and bringing in beneficial bugs, using sticky traps, or encouraging birds to come around. In public health, experts still recommend integrated pest management: use chemicals as the last resort, not the starting point. The recent patches of resistance among some insect populations show that overuse can backfire anyway, leaving homeowners with fewer options down the line.
Lambda-cyhalothrin earns its place for certain tough jobs, like heavy infestations or threats to food crops. Still, trust in safety comes through respect and care, not convenience. Each household, farm, or pet owner has to balance the goal of a bug-free home with the safety of those who live there.
Lambda-Cyhalothrin handles pests fast and with real punch, but treat it with respect. It’s no kitchen cleaner. This is an agricultural tool. Misuse can push good bugs out, pollute water, hurt health and breed super-pests. My uncle lost half a beehive because he sprayed too late on a breezy afternoon and ignored the label. There is money and nature at stake here—trust me.
The carton doesn’t just hold chemicals. The instructions have been hammered out through years of testing. Find the target pest, the right dilution, and the proper intervals between sprays. Getting cocky, estimating by eye or rushing leads to burnt leaves, sick bees or wasted effort. The Environmental Protection Agency updates safety data for Lambda-Cyhalothrin products every few years. Local agricultural offices usually share current restrictions as well.
Picture mixing a splash into an old bucket with bare hands—skin tingles and a rash rises that sticks for days. Gloves, goggles, long sleeves and shoes keep that poison off your skin and out of your lungs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has linked pyrethroid exposure to dizziness, nausea and worse. Spray upwind, still day only, far from kids and livestock.
In the shed, I keep a separate measuring cup and a dedicated spray tank. Add water first, chemical second; not the other way. Stale leftovers aren’t an option—Lambda-Cyhalothrin can go off quickly and breaks down in sunlight. Wash equipment right after spraying or risk clogging the nozzle later. Pour nothing into drains or water bodies. Leftover solution gets buried in a pit, far from wells.
Start early or late in the day to dodge wind and avoid the heat. Direct sunlight speeds up breakdown and limits results. Bees and other pollinators work mid-morning to afternoon, so keep clear of flowering crops or time your application right after sundown. I walk between rows, keeping my pace steady to help cover all surfaces. Rain soon after spraying means a wasted application. It’s a smart habit to check the forecast and plan ahead.
Overusing Lambda-Cyhalothrin leads down a dead end. Multiple growers around here now fight thrips immune to pyrethroids because they sprayed each week, every week. Rotate with different families of insecticides. Use integrated pest management—monitor pest numbers, encourage ladybugs, try baits, only spray at population spikes. Healthy soil, weed control and crop rotation cut the need for urgent chemical fixes.
Lock up chemicals away from kids, heat and food. Keep original labels and never reuse empty bottles for anything else. After a busy afternoon spraying, I always change clothes and shower. Contaminated shirt sleeves or soaked sneakers spread toxins into homes and trucks without warning. Rinse spray bottles and sprayers in the field, not inside. Triple rinse, puncture and bury empties according to local rules.
Applying Lambda-Cyhalothrin isn’t complicated, but it does reward attention and patience. Take care of yourself, your land, your neighbors, and you’ll see fewer surprises each season.
I remember walking through rows of corn after a summer rain and spotting armyworms crawling up healthy stalks. Farmers lose patience fast when these pests show up — nothing eats profits quite so quickly. Lambda-cyhalothrin comes up often in talk around such threats because it packs a punch against many insects.
In big-scale agriculture, folks reach for this insecticide to keep pests like aphids, thrips, and armyworms at bay. Aphids cluster on wheat or vegetable crops, draining the plant and spreading viruses. Thrips slice into fruits and vegetables, leaving silver scars that ruin looks and shelf appeal. Armyworms march through grains and leave fields looking stripped and hopeless. These insects don’t care if you’ve poured money and sweat into your field—they’ll chew through anyway.
For Texas cotton growers, whiteflies and bollworms top the list of headaches. Whiteflies launch dense swarms, coating leaves in sticky honeydew and turning every harvest into a gamble against fungal infections. Bollworms hide in cotton bolls and eat from the inside out, costing millions each year. Lambda-cyhalothrin works by paralyzing the nervous system of these insects, acting quickly to control outbreaks before fields get out of hand.
I’ve seen farming families in the Midwest use lambda-cyhalothrin when traditional methods lose steam. Bugs develop resistance to older chemicals, so shifting to a different mode of action helps keep populations low. The chemical fights pests but does less harm to mammals, earning a spot in many integrated pest management plans. Used thoughtfully, it gives crops the fighting chance that natural predators or crop rotation can’t always guarantee on their own.
It isn’t just farmers counting on this tool. Folks in cities use it to control mosquitoes, cockroaches, and ants. I hear stories from folks who struggle each rainy season with kitchen ants and mosquitoes at night. Spraying lambda-cyhalothrin along window frames or garden beds can reduce these pests, stopping them before they find their way inside.
Local governments sometimes use it in public health campaigns, targeting mosquito-borne diseases like dengue or malaria. Controlling mosquitoes matters far beyond comfort — it protects whole communities from outbreaks. Lambda-cyhalothrin stays effective in low doses, so professionals can manage threats without overusing pesticides.
No pesticide offers a free ride. Bees and other good pollinators face risks, especially if people use too much or spray during bloom. I’ve learned to read labels closely, spray at dusk, and keep chemicals away from flowering plants. Balancing pest control and environmental care takes discipline and guidance from research. Groups like the Environmental Protection Agency provide useful resources on safe handling and application, minimizing risks for both people and non-target species.
Big solutions rarely come from a single product. Rotating chemicals, planting pest-resistant varieties, and monitoring pest levels go hand in hand with careful pesticide use. Farmers and homeowners both win with smart stewardship: keeping pests out, crops safe, and communities healthy.
Lambda-cyhalothrin is a common pesticide in the world of crop protection. Across fruit orchards, vegetable plots, and large-scale fields of wheat or corn, growers rely on it to keep pests from ruining all that hard work. This product comes with its own rules, and one of them is the re-entry interval—how long you have to keep people out of a treated field after spraying.
For lambda-cyhalothrin, the re-entry interval lands at about 24 hours in most places. That number isn’t picked from thin air; it comes from a mix of field trials, scientific testing, and a careful look at how much of the chemical drifts, clings to plants, or lingers on surfaces. If you grew up around farming, you might remember warnings from family: Don’t go into the field until tomorrow—they just sprayed. That advice is more than family lore; it lines up with research showing residue levels drop off sharply after that first day, making it safer for people to walk through the field and work with the plants.
Direct contact with lambda-cyhalothrin can cause irritation, numbness, or worse if someone isn’t protected. I remember working summers on a fruit farm and seeing gloves and long sleeves as mandatory—not just for the sun, but for any lingering spray on the leaves. The waiting period helps protect workers, including young folks like I was, from breathing in those particles or absorbing chemicals through skin. Farmers, especially those running small family farms, take these precautions seriously because their own health and the wellbeing of their families depend on it.
Sticking to the 24-hour rule can get tricky during peak harvest. Picture days when fruit is almost ripe, rain is in the forecast, and the window for spraying is tight. It’s tempting to cut corners, but long-term health risks should outweigh the lure of a quick harvest. Inspections from ag officers can mean fines if the rules are ignored, but the bigger motivation comes from the stories people share, from rashes to more serious sickness linked to skipping these intervals. One neighbor always reminded young workers to read the product label every single time. That advice saves more problems than people realize.
The biggest challenge doesn’t stem from science—it comes from the unpredictability of weather, urgency of crop schedules, or just plain lack of labor. In some parts of the world, farms rely on temporary workers who might not receive proper training about chemicals. Language barriers add another layer. In these cases, workers could end up exposed simply because no one explained that the 24-hour gap needs strict respect.
A solution lies in straightforward, language-friendly instructions. Some products now use color-coded charts. Extension services, farm organizations, and local ag suppliers increasingly hold workshops, teaching best practices through hands-on demonstration, not just flyers. In my experience, nothing beats walking a field with someone who has been spraying for decades—they point out the risks honestly, share which gloves hold up to chemicals, and never let you forget the importance of waiting before re-entering a sprayed area. Technology also helps, with weather apps tracking spray conditions, and reminders on smartphones keeping safety front of mind. Everyone in the supply chain shares responsibility for getting the word out.
| Names | |
| Preferred IUPAC name | (Z)-cyano(3-phenoxyphenyl)methyl 3-(2-chloro-3,3,3-trifluoroprop-1-en-1-yl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate |
| Other names |
Karate ICON Matador Warrior Karate Zeon Demand Grenade Cyonara Siperin Ambush |
| Pronunciation | /ˌlæm-də(saɪ)-haɪˈlɒθ.rɪn/ |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS Number | 91465-08-6 |
| Beilstein Reference | 171105 |
| ChEBI | CHEBI:64377 |
| ChEMBL | CHEMBL333965 |
| ChemSpider | 54610 |
| DrugBank | DB02333 |
| ECHA InfoCard | 03e96a84-ab7c-49e9-9557-1be1a24da5b6 |
| EC Number | 601-045-00-6 |
| Gmelin Reference | 94697 |
| KEGG | C18321 |
| MeSH | D000077216 |
| PubChem CID | 60755 |
| RTECS number | GZ1220000 |
| UNII | K48M74NW8P |
| UN number | 3352 |
| Properties | |
| Chemical formula | C23H19ClF3NO3 |
| Molar mass | 449.86 g/mol |
| Appearance | White crystalline solid |
| Odor | Odorless |
| Density | 1.33 g/cm³ |
| Solubility in water | 0.005 mg/L (25 °C) |
| log P | 6.9 |
| Vapor pressure | 1.5 × 10⁻⁹ mmHg at 20°C |
| Basicity (pKb) | 4.68 |
| Refractive index (nD) | 1.570 |
| Viscosity | Viscous liquid |
| Dipole moment | 5.1 D |
| Thermochemistry | |
| Std molar entropy (S⦵298) | 760.6 J·mol⁻¹·K⁻¹ |
| Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfH⦵298) | -788.7 kJ/mol |
| Std enthalpy of combustion (ΔcH⦵298) | -8408.2 kJ/mol |
| Pharmacology | |
| ATC code | Pesticides |
| Hazards | |
| Main hazards | May be fatal if swallowed, toxic if inhaled, causes skin irritation, may cause an allergic skin reaction, very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. |
| GHS labelling | GHS02, GHS06, GHS09 |
| Pictograms | GHS06,GHS09 |
| Signal word | Warning |
| Hazard statements | H301, H331, H400, H410 |
| Precautionary statements | Keep out of reach of children. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, or clothing. Do not breathe spray mist. Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling. Remove and wash contaminated clothing before reuse. |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | 1-1-0-Ξ |
| Flash point | Flash point: >61°C |
| Autoignition temperature | 400 °C |
| Lethal dose or concentration | LD50 (rat, oral) = 56 mg/kg |
| LD50 (median dose) | LD50 (median dose) of Lambda-Cyhalothrin: "79 mg/kg (rat, oral) |
| NIOSH | GB6400000 |
| PEL (Permissible) | 0.05 mg/m³ |
| REL (Recommended) | 25-30 g ai/ha |
| IDLH (Immediate danger) | Not established |
| Related compounds | |
| Related compounds |
Cyhalothrin Gamma-cyhalothrin Permethrin Deltamethrin Cypermethrin Esfenvalerate |
