Juvenogens as potential agents in termite control: laboratory screening.
Preliminary screening tests of eight juvenogens, fatty acid esters of two parent juvenoid alcohols, showed high juvenilizing effect in the termite Prorhinotermes simplex (Hagen). This effect is manifested by differentiation of termite workers into pre-soldiers, soldiers and/or soldier-intercastes ('soldiers'). Juvenogen 9 was tested with five other termite species: Zootermopsis angusticollis Hagen, Kalotermes flavicollis F, Cryptotermes declivis Tsai & Chen, Reticulitermes santonensis de Feytaud, and R flaviceps Oshima, and showed promising efficacy in force-feeding (FF) as well as in choice bioassays. In the economically important subterranean termites R santonensis and R flaviceps, after application of 0.5 mg ml(-1) in FF experiments ca 57 and 73%, respectively, of workers changed into soldiers. In Zootermopsis angusticollis application of 0.05 mg ml(-1) caused differentiation in 62% soldiers, and 57% soldiers differentiated after topical application of 1 microg of the tested compound per termite. Differentiation of excessive soldiers induced by a juvenile hormone-mimicking compound may cause disruption of the social structure and ultimately the death of the colony.
Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Flemingovo nám 2, 166 10 Praha 6, Czech Republic. hrdy@uochb.cas.cz
Ivan
I
Hrdý
Jelena
J
Kuldová
Zdenek
Z
Wimmer
D000818:Animals; D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006608:Hierarchy, Social; D007306:Insecticides / Q000494:pharmacology; D020049:Isoptera / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D007605:Juvenile Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D009024:Morphogenesis; D010572:Pest Control, Biological / Q000379:methods*; D013045:Species Specificity
D004952:Esters; D005227:Fatty Acids; D007306:Insecticides; D007605:Juvenile Hormones