Efficacy of hexaflumuron against the fungus-growing termite Pseudacanthotermes spiniger (Sjöstedt) (isoptera, macrotermitinae)

✍ Scribed by Peppuy, Alexis; Robert, Alain; Delbecque, Jean-Paul; Leca, Jean-Louis; Rouland, Corinne; Bordereau, Christian

• Book ID: 101214867
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 235 KB
• Volume: 54
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1526-498X
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9063(199809)54:1<22::aid-ps785>3.0.co;2-i

✦ Synopsis

The efficacy of hexaÑumuron, a benzophenylurea insecticide, has been studied for the Ðrst time on a fungus-growing termite (Pseudacanthotermes spiniger Sjo stedt, Macrotermitinae). Results show that hexaÑumuron could be useful in treating infestations of such pest species, which are of great economic importance in many tropical and equatorial countries. Foraging workers harvested and introduced treated food into the nest and subsequently contaminated the brood by trophallaxis. HexaÑumuron showed potent larvicidal activity. The compound did not appear to be rapidly degraded by the digestive enzymes of termite workers, nor by the symbiotic fungus T ermitomyces eurhizus Heim growing on fungus combs. This chitin synthesis inhibitor did not act as a fungicide, since growth of the mycelium of this fungus was not inhibited in vitro.