title: Potential of natural products and their derivatives to control Formosan subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).
abstract: Twenty-nine natural products and their derivatives were tested for both contact and vapor toxicity against the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Five natural products at 0.5% (wt:wt) in petri dish contact assay caused 100% mortality within 3 d. In vapor form, only three chemicals (styrallyl alcohol, 2-phenyl-2-propanol, and l-carvone) at 0.25 microl/liter air caused > 90% mortality in 3 d when tested on exposed termites: However, when termites were shielded by wood and soil, only one chemical, tetrahydrocarvone at 25 microl/liter air caused 100% mortality in 2 d. Preliminary test with termites in carton nests, exposed to tetrahydrocarvone vapor in desiccators, resulted in an average of 98.6% mortality in 7 d. With further development in the method of delivery, this chemical may be very useful in fumigating confined areas of termite infestation.
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, FSTRU, 1100 Robert E Lee Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124, USA. asraina42@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ashok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raina
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bedoukian
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Florane
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lax
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001688:Biological Products / Q000633:toxicity*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007306:Insecticides / Q000633:toxicity*; D020049:Isoptera / Q000187:drug effects*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D014934:Wood / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D007306:Insecticides; D012987:Soil