Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of growth inhibitors?

The characteristic that is not associated with growth inhibitors is that they act on adult insects. Growth inhibitors primarily target the development processes of organisms, particularly during their immature stages. These chemicals typically disrupt normal processes such as molting, thereby affecting larvae or nymphs more significantly than adults.

Growth inhibitors can interfere with normal development by disrupting hormonal signals necessary for maturity. They also often mimic hormones, which allows them to interfere with a pest’s growth and development at critical stages. However, they are generally not effective on adult insects, whose physiological processes are already established and less reliant on the growth-regulating hormones that these inhibitors manipulate. Thus, growth inhibitors are specifically designed to impact juvenile forms rather than fully developed adults.