Mechanism of leaf-cutting ant colony suppression by fipronil used in attractive toxic baits

Pest Management Science
Lailla C GandraRaul Nc Guedes

Abstract

Attractive toxic baits are the prevailing method for managing leaf-cutting ants in the eucalypt forests planted for the production of pulp, paper, timber and charcoal. For successful use in these baits, the insecticidal compounds need to circumvent the typical defences of the eusocial leaf-cutting ants. The challenge is to have an insecticide in the bait that will not directly harm and/or compromise foraging workers, but that will eventually suppress the colony. These underlying mechanisms are poorly known, and here the potential mechanism of fipronil activity in toxic baits for leaf-cutting ants was assessed using colonies of the representative Neotropical Acromyrmex subterraneus subterraneus (Forel, 1893). Although forager activity was not directly impaired by fipronil, the insecticide affected forager nestmate interactions (auto- and allogrooming) and waste removal and, more importantly, greatly affected the minor workers, impairing their activities of fungus garden cultivation and progeny handling. The fast decay of the fungus garden compromised the sustainability of the colonies, ultimately leading to their demise within 8 days. The behavioural effects of sublethal insecticide exposure towards minor workers are the main de...Continue Reading

References

Jul 8, 1999·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·C R CurrieD Malloch
Dec 4, 2003·Mutation Research·João Lúcio Azevedo, Welington Luiz Araujo
Jan 16, 2013·Annual Review of Entomology·John E Casida, Kathleen A Durkin
Oct 12, 2013·Pest Management Science·Terezinha M C Della LuciaRaul N C Guedes
Sep 17, 2014·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·L W PisaM Wiemers

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Citations

Nov 7, 2019·Ecotoxicology·Karina D AmaralTerezinha M C Della Lucia
Mar 17, 2020·Journal of Chemical Ecology·Lina Cristina SalazarTatiana Lobo-Echeverri
Jun 15, 2017·Journal of Basic Microbiology·Mariela Otoni do NascimentoDanival José de Souza
Jun 3, 2021·Sensors·Rodrigo Cupertino BernardesGustavo Ferreira Martins
Nov 18, 2021·Neotropical Entomology·Tarcísio Marcos Macedo Mota FilhoLuiz Carlos Forti

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