2-aryl-ethyl ether derivatives and insecticidal and acaricidal agents containing said derivatives

An insecticidal and acaricidal agent comprising as an active ingredient at least one member selected from the group consisting of 2-arylethyl ether derivatives represented by the following general formula (I):

• ##STR86## wherein:
• Ar stands for an aryl group selected from the group consisting of phenyl and naphthyl groups, which are unsubstituted or substituted with the same or different substituents selected from the group consisting of -
• a halogen atom;
• an unsubstituted or halogen substituted alkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkenyloxy, alkynyloxy, alkoxyalkyl, alkoxyalkoxy, alkoxyalkylthio, acyl, alkoxycarbonyl, phenyl or phenoxy group;
• a cycloalkoxy, nitro, cyano, methylenedioxy, 3,4-difluoromethylenedioxy, 3,4-ethylenedioxy, 3,4-difluoroethylenedioxy or 3,4-trifluoroethylenedioxy group;
• and
• a polymethylene group having 3 to 5 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.1 stands for a straight or branched chain alkyl group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms;
• R.sup.2 stands for a hydrogen atom, or a methyl or ethyl group;
• R.sup.3 stands for a halogen atom;
• R.sup.4 stands for a hydrogen or halogen atom, or an alkyl or alkoxy group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
• n is an integer of 1 or 2 with the proviso that when n is 2, the group R.sup.4 may be the same or different;
• and
• Y stands for an oxygen atom.