Defense secretion of Prorhinotermes simplex: toxicity to insecticide susceptible and resistant house fly

• Published in: Journal of chemical ecology Vol. 25; no. 3; pp. 657 - 662
• Main Authors: Kuldova, J, Hrdy, I, Svatos, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Springer 01.03.1999; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; defensive secretions; Detoxification; Flowers & plants; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; insecticide resistance; Insecticides; Insects; Isoptera; mechanism of action; metabolic detoxification; Musca domestica; Muscidae; Organophosphorus pesticides; Prorhinotermes simplex; Protozoa. Invertebrata; Pyrethroids; Rhinotermitidae; Toxicity; Muscidae; Insecticide; Nuisance; Defensive secretion; Toxicity; Insecta; Musca domestica; Isoptera; Pesticides; Social insect; Sensitivity resistance; Arthropoda; Rhinotermitidae; Invertebrata; Diptera; Interspecific relation
• ISSN: 0098-0331; 1573-1561
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1020918323678

(E)-1-Nitropentadec-1-ene (NPE); the main component of the defense secretion of Prorhinotermes simplex soldiers, is toxic to both insecticide-susceptible (S) as well as to insecticide-resistant (R) strains of the house fly, Musca domestica. The LD(50) is 11.7 microgram/female fly for the S strain and 9.7 microgram for the R strain. The same efficacy of NPE on R and S strains indicates a different mechanism of action compared to conventional chlorinated, organophosphorus, and pyrethroid insecticides. Termite nestmates are protected against NPE by a specific detoxification mechanism. 1-Nitropentadecane, the detoxification product of NPE is nearly nontoxic to house flies, and doses up to 160 microgram/fly caused only very low mortality.