Plant-based compounds with potential as push-pull stimuli to manage behavior of leaf-cutting ants (original) (raw)
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Identification of a novel plant-derived attractant for Acromyrmex lobicornis leaf-cutting ants
Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, 2019
Leaf-cutting ants are considered major pests of agriculture and forestry in the Neotropics. Attractive toxic baits are the prevailing method for managing them. Thus, there is great interest in identifying attractants to incorporate into these baits. Moreover, leaf-cutting ants can avoid toxic baits by associating the attractant with the toxin. We evaluated attractiveness of heptyl butyrate, a volatile compound found in fresh apples and plums. We conducted field experiments with ten colonies of Acromyrmex lobicornis. First, we evaluated the behaviour of ants exposed to heptyl butyrate at 1% by surrounding resources. Then, we compared the attractiveness of heptyl butyrate and orange pulp, the most commonly used attractant. Finally, we evaluated whether heptyl butyrate increases the attractiveness of a carbohydrate resource at varying doses. Heptyl butyrate at 1% attracted 92% more ants than the control and that it was as attractive as orange pulp. Heptyl butyrate paired with sucrose at concentrations of 0.001 and 0.1% was more attractive than sucrose alone, but greater concentrations did not increase sucrose's attractiveness. Therefore, heptyl butyrate could be added to toxic baits to manage A. lobicornis as it is as attractive as the most commonly used attractant and can be applied directly to the pellets.
Journal of Economic Entomology, 2002
Leaf-cutting ants are important economic pests of the Neotropics, and the most common method of control involves the use of insecticidal baits. Baits that are currently available exhibit low attractiveness to grass-cutting species, thus there is a need to develop improved baits. The potential for using alarm pheromone compounds to enhance the attractiveness and subsequent harvest of baits was examined for two economically important species of grass-cutting ant, Atta bisphaerica (Forel) and Atta capiguara (Goncalves). Compounds of the alarm pheromone were applied to rubber septa that were then sealed inside plastic sachets together with citrus pulp-based bait. The best candidate compound for bait enhancement was 4-methyl-3-heptanone. This compound signiÞcantly increased the attractiveness of bait sachets to both species. It also appeared to improve the discovery of nearby unenhanced sachets. However, 4-methyl-3-heptanone resulted in only a slight and non-signiÞcant improvement in bait harvest. Enhanced and unenhanced bait sachets were applied at a number of positions to obtain an improvement in harvest, but without success. The possible reasons for the lack of an enhancement of harvest and the potential for using alarm pheromone compounds as leaf-cutting ant bait enhancers are discussed.
The response of grass-cutting ants to natural and synthetic versions of their alarm pheromone
Physiological Entomology, 2001
The responses of the grass-cutting ants Atta bisphaerica (Forel) and Atta capiguara (Gonc Ëalves) to the main components of their alarm pheromones were examined in simple ®eld bioassays. Both species react most strongly to 4-methyl-3-heptanone, which causes the full range of alarm behaviour and a large increase in the number of individuals near the sources. In later experiments with A. capiguara, this increase was found to be due primarily to attraction, with some arrestment also occurring. The ant response to 4-methyl-3-heptanone was compared with that to crushed heads and to that with whole ants with crushed heads. The pheromone 4-methyl-3-heptanone by itself stimulates the same level of attraction as crushed heads, but results in far less alarm behaviour and arrests fewer ants. Whole ants with crushed heads attract a greater number of ants than the other sources and also cause more alarm behaviour. Bodies alone attract ants, but do not result in alarm behaviour. The main component in both species is the same, supporting the view that alarm pheromones lack species speci®city. However, it appears that other components may also be important either as synergists of the main compound, or by stimulating behaviours that would not be observed in its absence.
Plant–Derived Products for Leaf–Cutting Ants Control
Insecticides - Development of Safer and More Effective Technologies, 2013
Insecticides-Development of Safer and More Effective Technologies Dimorphandra mollis Fabaceae Astilbin Cintra et al., 2005 [86] Raulinoa echinata Rutaceae Limonoid, limonexic acid Biavatti et al., 2005 [57] Cedrela fissilis Meliaceae 3β-acetoxicarapine limonoid, oleanolic acid, oleanic acid, cipadesin A, ruageanin A, cipadesin, khayasin T, febrifugin, mexicanolide
Bulletin of Insectology
To better understand the potential of controlling of leaf-cutting ants, a serious pest, with conventional synthetic insecticides as well as botanical pesticides, we propose to evaluate the effect of d-limonene on attractiveness and rejection of citric pulp to the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel. Five treatments were adopted that consisted of fragments of filter paper impreg-nated with various concentrations of d-limonene and with organic extract of citrus pulp. The number of fragments loaded by the ants in the foraging arena and transported to the fungus garden and of fragments rejected in the refuse chamber was counted. It has been shown that d-limonene provoked concentration-dependent reduction of attractiveness response to A. sexdens rubropilosa workers. No rejection of loaded fragment was observed. We discussed the relationship between substrate selection and its repel-lent compounds, and also that a repellent substrate component can be overcome or masked by the ...
International Journal of Industrial Entomology
The present study was developed in order to evaluate the effect of five essential oils on the workers of the leaf-cutting ants; Atta sexdens rubropilosa and Acromyrmex subterraneus molestans by contact with a treated surface and ingestion with a treated leaves.. The essential oils of cinnamon, clove and mustard had generally more effective with 5, 10 and 15% concentrations after 24, 48, 72 and 96 h against workers of A. sexdens rubropilosa and A. subterraneus molestans in contact bioassay, but mustard was the most effective in ingestion bioassay on both species. On the other hand, there was no significant difference among the essential oils with 1% concentration and control after 24, 48 and 72 h of treatment in contact and ingestion bioassays against workers of A. sexdens rubropilosa. However, Andiroba oil had less efficiency values in all concentrations been used. Therefore, the essential oils of mustard, cinnamon and clove have contact and ingestion effects on workers of A. sexdens rubropilosa and A. subterraneus molestans, and may be promising on the leaf-cutting ant control.
Acta Oecologica, 2000
While observations suggest that plant chemicals could be important in maintaining the specificity and permitting the functioning of ant-plant symbioses, they have been little studied. We report here the strongest evidence yet for chemical signalling between ants and plants in a specific ant-plant protection symbiosis. In the mutualism between Leonardoxa africana subsp. africana and Petalomyrmex phylax, ants continuously patrol young leaves, which are vulnerable to attacks by phytophagous insects. We provide experimental evidence for chemical mediation of ant attraction to young leaves in this system. By a comparative analysis of the related non-myrmecophytic tree L. africana subsp. gracilicaulis, we identify likely candidates for attractant molecules, and suggest they may function not only as signals but also as resources. We also propose hypotheses on the evolutionary origin of these plant volatiles, and of the responses to them by mutualistic ants. © 2000 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS
Journal of Economic Entomology, 2013
The toxicity and repellency of the bioactive chemicals of clove (Syzygium aromaticum) powder, eugenol, eugenol acetate, and beta-caryophyllene were evaluated against workers of the red imported Þre ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren. Clove powder applied at 3 and 12 mg/cm 2 provided 100% ant mortality within 6 h, and repelled 99% within 3 h. Eugenol was the fastest acting compound against red imported Þre ant compared with eugenol acetate, beta-caryophyllene, and clove oil. The LT 50 values inclined exponentially with the increase in the application rate of the chemical compounds tested. However, repellency did not increase with the increase in the application rate of the chemical compounds tested, but did with the increase in exposure time. Eugenol, eugenol acetate, as well as beta-caryophyllene and clove oil may provide another tool for red imported Þre ant integrated pest management, particularly in situations where conventional insecticides are inappropriate.
Managing leaf-cutting ants: peculiarities, trends and challenges
Pest Management Science, 2014
Leaf-cutting ants are generally recognized as important pest species in Neotropical America. They are eusocial insects that exhibit social organization, foraging, fungus-cultivation, hygiene and a complex nest structure, which render their management notoriously difficult. A lack of economic thresholds and sampling plans focused on the main pest species preclude the management of leaf-cutting ants; such management would facilitate their control and lessen insecticide overuse, particularly the use of insecticidal baits. Recent restrictions on the use of synthetic compounds for such purposes impose additional challenges for the management of leaf-cutting ants. Considerable effort has been exerted regarding these challenges, which are addressed herein, but which also remain challenges that are yet to be conquered.