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Evaluation of fipronil and imidacloprid as bait active ingredients against fungus-growing termites (Blattodea: Termitidae: Macrotermitinae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 May 2017

N. Iqbal  and
T.A. Evans
N. Iqbal*
Affiliation:
National University of Singapore, 117345, Singapore Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan (60800), Pakistan Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Ghazi University, Dera Ghazi Khan (32200), Pakistan
T.A. Evans
Affiliation:
National University of Singapore, 117345, Singapore School of Animal Biology, University of Western Australia, Perth WA 6009, Australia
*
*Author for correspondence Phone: +92649260380 Fax: +92649260544 E-mail: naeemiqbal18@yahoo.com
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Abstract

Fungus-growing termites (Macrotermitinae) are important pests in tropical countries. They are difficult to control with existing baiting methods, as chitin synthesis inhibitors are not effectual as active ingredients. We tested two neurotoxins, fipronil and imidacloprid, as potential bait active ingredients against Macrotermes gilvus (Hagen) in Singapore. In laboratory bioassays, M. gilvus showed no preference for doses of 0–64 ppm fipronil, or for doses of 0–250 ppm imidacloprid, indicating no repellence. We tested each insecticide in toilet paper as a bait matrix in a field experiment. After 28 days, termites had eaten 5–13% of the fipronil treated toilet paper, abandoned bait and monitoring stations, contacted no new stations, and repaired poorly their experimentally damaged mounds. Termites ate no imidacloprid treated toilet paper, abandoned bait stations although contacted new stations, and repaired fully their damaged mounds. Termites ate 60–70% of the control toilet paper, remained in bait stations, and fully repaired damaged mounds. After 56 days, all five fipronil colonies were eliminated, whereas all of the imidacloprid and control colonies were healthy. The results suggest that fipronil could be an effective active ingredient in bait systems for fungus-growing termites in tropical countries.

Keywords

active ingredientbait active ingredientfungus-growingIsopteraMacrotermitinaetermite
Type
Research Papers
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 108 , Issue 1 , February 2018 , pp. 14 - 22
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Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

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