Photoactive azole pesticides

An insecticidal, acaricidal, or nematicidal composition comprising in admixture with an agriculturally acceptable carrier an insecticidally, acaricidally, or nematicidally effective amount of at least one compound of the formula ##STR4## wherein W is selected from O and S;

• R.sub.2 is selected from the group consisting of phenyl, naphthyl, 2,2-difluoro-1,3-benzodioxyl, phenyl substituted with at least one substituent selected from halogen, lower alkyl, lower haloalkyl, cyano, lower alkoxy, lower haloalkoxy, di(lower)alkylamino, phenylthiocarbonyl, or phenylsulfonyloxy, thienyl, and thienyl substituted with a substituent selected from halogen, lower alkyl, or thienyl;
• R.sub.4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, tri(lower)alkylsilyl, phenyl, halophenyl and thienyl;
• R.sub.5 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl, phenyl, phenyl substituted with at least one substituent selected from halogen, lower alkyl, lower haloalkyl, lower alkoxy, phenyl, or nitro, thienyl, and thienyl substituted with a substituent selected from lower alkyl, halogen, lower hydroxyalkyl, methylthio, lower haloalkylthio, lower alkylsulfonyl, lower haloalkenylthio, lower alkoxycarbonyl, and tri(lower)alkylsilyl;
• wherein at least one of R.sub.2 and R.sub.5 is an optionally substituted thienyl group and at least one of R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 is other than hydrogen, with the proviso:
• when R.sub.4 is hydrogen, phenyl or thienyl, then R.sub.5 is other than hydrogen, phenyl, thienyl, alkylphenyl, or alkylthienyl;
• or R.sub.2 is other than phenyl, alkylphenyl, thienyl or alkylthienyl.

A method for controlling insects, acarids, or nematodes which comprises applying to the locus where control is desired an insecticidally, acaricidally, or nematicidally effective amount of at least one compound of the formula ##STR5## wherein W is selected from O and S;

• R.sub.2 is selected from the group consisting of phenyl, naphthyl, 2,2-difluoro-1,3-benzodioxyl, phenyl substituted with at least one substituent selected from halogen, lower alkyl, lower haloalkyl, cyano, lower alkoxy, lower haloalkoxy, di(lower)alkylamino, phenylthiocarbonyl, or phenylsulfonyloxy, thienyl, and thienyl substituted with a substituent selected from halogen, lower alkyl, or thienyl;
• R.sub.4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, tri(lower)alkylsilyl, phenyl, halophenyl and thienyl;
• R.sub.5 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, lower alkyl, phenyl, phenyl substituted with at least one substituent selected from halogen, lower alkyl, lower haloalkyl, lower alkoxy, phenyl, or nitro, thienyl, and thienyl substituted with a substituent selected from lower alkyl, halogen, lower hydroxyalkyl, lower haloalkylthio, lower alkylsulfonyl, lower haloalkenylthio, lower alkoxycarbonyl, or tri(lower)alkylsilyl;
• wherein at least one of R.sub.2 and R.sub.5 is an optionally substituted thienyl group, and R.sub.4 is other than hydrogen when one of R.sub.2 and R.sub.5 is unsubstituted thienyl and the other of R.sub.2 and R.sub.5 is unsubstituted phenyl.