Toxicity of Hydramethylnon to Leaf-cutting Ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract

Since 2009, when sulfluramid was listed in annex B of the Stockholm Convention’s Persistent Organic Pollutants, effort has been made to search for other active ingredients to use in baits for controlling leaf-cutting ants in Brazil. Considering that active ingredients that inhibit insect cellular respiration have been shown to be effective in controlling ants, the current work aimed at assessing the toxicity of hydramethylnon to Atta sexdens rubropilosa workers. Hydramethylnon was dissolved in acetone and in a solution of acetone + soy oil then incorporated in artificial diet at concentrations of 1 µg/mL, 5 µg/mL, 10 µg/mL, 100 µg/mL, 200 µg/mL and 1000 µg/mL. The treatments where ants were daily fed on the diet containing hydramethylnon at 100 µg/mL, 200 µg/mL and 1000 µg/mL, especially those dissolved in soy oil, exhibited high mortality in comparison to the controls. The data presented here confirms the insecticidal activity of hydramethylnon and highlights the importance of employing soy oil in the formulation of baits to control leaf-cutting ants because it enhances hydramethylnon efficiency.

Bioactivity of Asclepias curassavica, Equisetum spp. and Rosmarinus officinalis Extracts Against Leaf-Cutting Ants

“…Sesamin exerted a fungicidal effect at a concentration of 70µg.ml -1 (Bueno et al, 2004). This result disagrees with the findings of Ribeiro et al (1998) who demonstrated complete inhibition of the fungus at a low concentration (2.5µg.ml -1 ).…”

“…Leaf-cutting ants of the genera Atta and Acromyrmex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) cultivate a symbiotic fungus, Bigi et al, 1998;Kitamura et al, 1999;Bigi et al, 2004;Caffarini et al, 2008;Alonso & Santos, 2013), Sesamum (Hebling et al, 1991;Bueno et al, 1995;Ribeiro et al, 1998;Peres Filho et al, 2003;Morini et al, 2005;Bueno et al, 2004), Canavalia ensiformis (Hebling et al, 2000;Rodriguez et al, 2008;Valderrama-Eslava et al, 2009;Aubad-Lopez, 2011;Varon et al 2007), Tithonia diversifolia (Giraldo-Echeverri, 2005;Castano, 2009) and Azidarachta indica (Bigi et al, 2004;Gruber & Valdix, 2003;Herrera, 2009).…”

Formigas cultivadoras de fungos: estado da arte e direcionamento para pesquisas futuras

“…Pesquisas sobre plantas tóxicas, visando a extração e identificação do material tóxico às formigas ou a seu fungo têm sido realizadas. O uso de substâncias tóxicas, extraídas de vegetais, poderá apresentar-se, no futuro, como possibilidade de controle (Hebling et al, 2000;Bueno et al, 2004;Valderrama-Eslava et al, 2009).…”

Métodos de controle de formigas cortadeiras em sistemas orgânicos de produção: uma revisão

“…A saber, diversos trabalhos evidenciam a eficiência de espécies vegetais no controle de formigas cortadeiras ou do fungo simbionte sendo: Aristolochia trilobata (Aristolochiaceae) (OLIVEIRA et al, 2017); Ateleia glazioviana (Fabaceae) (CANTARELLI et al, 2005); Canavalia ensiformis (Fabaceae) (HEBLING et al, 2000a); Cipadessa fruticosa (Meliaceae) (LEITE et al, 2005); Eplingiella fruticosa (Lamiaceae) (SILVA, 2017) Eugenia florida e Eugenia handroana (Myrtaceae) (TORRES et al, 2014); Ipomoea batatas (Convolvulaceae) (HEBLING et al, 2000b); Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae) (ACÁCIO-BIGI et al, 2004); Simarouba versicolor (Simaroubaceae) (PEÑAFLOR et al, 2009); Sesamum indicum (Pedaliaceae) (RIBEIRO et al, 1998;BUENO et al, 2004;MORINI et al, 2005), Trichilia pallida (Meliaceae) e Zanthoxylum pohlianum (Rutaceae) (TORRES et al, 2014); Melaleuca alternifólia (Myrtaceae) (BUTELERA et al, 2019); Simarouba amara (Simaroubaceae) e Zanthoxylum rhoifolium (Rutaceae) (GOMES, 2016); Sesamum indicum (Pedaliaceae) (RIBEIRO et al, 1998;BUENO et al, 2004;MORINI et al, 2005;ARAÚJO, 2016).…”