[Objective] The aim of this study was to detect the acute toxicity of clethodim, cypermethrin and 2,4-D-butylate. [Method] Chironomus sinicus larvae were exposed to different concentrations of clethodim, cypermethrin and 2,4-D-butylate. Survival rate, lethal concentration 50 （LC50） and superoxide dismutase （SOD） activity in the homogenate of the larvae were monitored to detect the toxicity of the pesti- cides. [Result] The survival rates of C. sinicus larvae exposed to cypermethrin and 2,4-D-butylate for 12 h were almost unchanged at different concentrations, but de- creased with concentration increasing 48 h later. For each pesticide, the differences in survival rates of C. sinicus larvae at 48 h were significant. The 48 h LC50 of clethodim, cypermethrin and 2,4-D-butylate to C. sinicus larvae were 1.842, 0.150 and 1.999 mg/L, respectively. The acute toxicity of cypermethrin was the highest a- mong the three pesticides and that of 2,4-D-butylate was the lowest. Clethodim sig- nificantly reduced the SOD content in a dose-dependent manner. 2,4-D-butylate also reduced SOD content in C. sinicus larvae, but the reduction was not significantly re- lated to its dosage. However, cypermethrin showed no significant effect on SOD ac- tivity in C. sinicus larvae.
