Insecticide Transfer Efficiency and Lethal Load in Argentine Ants.

Trophallaxis between individual worker ants and the toxicant load in dead and live Argentine ants (Linepithema humile) in colonies exposed to fipronil and hydramethylnon experimental baits were examined using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). About 50% of the content of the crop containing trace levels of 14C-sucrose, 14C-hydramethylnon, and 14C-fipronil was shared between single donor and recipient ants. Dead workers and queens contained significantly more hydramethylnon (122.7 and 22.4 amol/µg ant, respectively) than did live workers and queens (96.3 and 10.4 amol/µg ant, respectively). Dead workers had significantly more fipronil (420.3 amol/µg ant) than did live workers (208.5 amol/µg ant), but dead and live queens had equal fipronil levels (59.5 and 54.3 amol/µg ant, respectively). The distribution of fipronil differed within the bodies of dead and live queens; the highest amounts of fipronil were recovered in the thorax of dead queens whereas live queens had the highest levels in the head. Resurgence of polygynous ant colonies treated with hydramethylnon baits may be explained by queen survival resulting from sublethal doses due to a slowing of trophallaxis throughout the colony. Bait strategies and dose levels for controlling insect pests need to be based on the specific toxicant properties and trophic strategies for targeting the entire colony.

An oral bioassay for the toxicity of hydramethylnon to individual workers and queens of Argentine ants, Linepithema humile.

We have developed an oral bioassay to determine the toxicity of hydramethylnon to individual workers and queens of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile. We fed seven concentrations of hydramethylnon in suspension to individual workers or queens, determined the amount of hydramethylnon ingested and evaluated the individual ants for mortality 14 days later. At concentrations > or = 0.37 g liter-1, the amount of liquid the queens ingested decreased dramatically, indicating that Argentine ant queens may detect hydramethylnon. Significantly larger volumes of the two highest concentrations of the hydramethylnon suspension were ingested by the workers, compared to the lower concentrations, suggesting that hydramethylnon may act as a feeding stimulant for the workers. Worker mortality was higher than queen mortality at the highest concentrations tested. The highest worker mortality resulted when the ants ingested 1.03 micrograms of hydramethylnon per mg of ant tissue. At the highest concentration (1.0 g liter-1) tested, workers ingested almost 12 times as much active ingredient per mg of body weight as did queens, suggesting that, in order to increase mortality of queens, multiple feedings must occur.

Oral toxicity of abamectin, boric acid, fipronil, and hydramethylnon to laboratory colonies of Argentine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).

Comprehensive laboratory baiting studies with the 4 insecticides abamectin, boric acid, fipronil, and hydramethylnon were conducted against Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr). Serial dilutions of each insecticide prepared in a 25% sucrose solution were provided for 24 h or 14 d to groups of workers and queens. Sucrose-water baits containing 1 x 10(-5)% fipronil and 0.1% hydramethylnon provided complete mortality of L. humile workers baited for 24 h. Baits containing 1 x 10(-4) and 1 x 10(-5)% fipronil provided 100% kill of queens. In the continuous baiting, 0.5% boric acid, 1 x 10(-6)% fipronil, and 0.025% hydramethylnon provided 100% mortality of workers. The queens and workers provided baits containing 1 x 10(-5)% fipronil and 0.5% boric acid all died within 14 d. Low concentrations of fipronil and boric acid in sucrose may be promising candidates for Argentine ant control.