Nitro-substituted heterocyclic compounds useful as insecticides

A nitro-substituted heterocyclic compound of the formula (I):

• ##STR317## wherein R represents hydrogen or C.sub.1-4 -alkyl;
• Z represents C.sub.6-10 -aryl, or a 5- to 6-membered heterocyclic group containing 1 to 2 hetero atoms selected from the group consisting of O, S and N, at least one of which is a nitrogen atom, and said aryl and heterocyclic group is unsubstituted or substituted by a member selected from the group consisting of halogen, C.sub.1-4 -alkyl, C.sub.1-4 -alkoxy, C.sub.1-4 -haloalkyl, C.sub.1-4 -alkylthio, C.sub.1-4 -haloalkoxy, C.sub.1-4 -haloalkylthio, nitro and cyano;
• A represents unsubstituted propylene or propylene substituted by methyl;
• and
• B represents 2 carbon atoms of a heterocyclic ring which is formed, together with the adjacent C-atom and N-atom and is unsubstituted or substituted by at least one substituent selected from the group consisting of halogen, C.sub.1-6 -alkyl, C.sub.1-4 -alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkoxy part, unsubstituted or substituted C.sub.6-10 -aryl, keto, imino, phenoxy, C.sub.1-4 -alkylthio, alkoxycarbonylimino having 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkoxy part, phenoxycarbonylimino, benzoylimino, benzyl, cyano, thioketo, hydroxy and C.sub.1-2 -alkylidene.