Group effects on insecticide toxicity in workers of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki

• Published in: Pest management science Vol. 58; no. 8; pp. 769 - 774
• Main Authors: Valles, S.M, Woodson, W.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01.08.2002; Wiley
• Subjects: Animals; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; bioassay; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical control; Chlordan - administration & dosage; Chlordan - toxicity; chlordane; chlorpyrifos; Chlorpyrifos - administration & dosage; Chlorpyrifos - toxicity; Control; Coptotermes formosanus; cypermethrin; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; grooming (animal behavior); group effect; insecticide toxicity; insecticide transfer; Insecticides - administration & dosage; Insecticides - toxicity; Isoptera - drug effects; Isoptera - metabolism; Lethal Dose 50; Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection; Protozoa. Invertebrates; Pyrethrins - administration & dosage; Pyrethrins - toxicity; Social Behavior; subterranean termites; termite control; termites; termiticides; topical application; toxicity; trophallaxis; worker insects; Grooming behavior; Insecticide; Toxicity; Insecta; Coptotermes formosanus; Pyrethroids; Animal society; Termite; Pest; Pest management; Organochlorine compounds; Trophallaxis; Cypermethrin; Chemical control; Rhinotermitidae; Group effect; Chlorpyrifos; Chemical exchange; Mortality; Isoptera; Pesticides; Gregarious behavior; Arthropoda; Colony; Organophosphorus compounds; Invertebrata; Chlordane; Topical administration; Chemical contamination; Worker insect
• ISSN: 1526-4998; 1526-498X; 1526-4998
• DOI: 10.1002/ps.528

Coptotermes formosanus workers were treated topically with insecticide and subsequently held individually or in groups to examine possible effects on insecticide toxicity. Chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin and chlordane toxicities were 1.4-, 1.5-, and 1.3-fold greater, respectively, among workers held in groups compared with those held individually after insecticide treatment. Experiments were conducted to examine how enhanced toxicity occurred among termites held in groups after topical insecticide treatment. When workers were treated topically with chlordane and immediately placed with untreated workers, significantly greater numbers of untreated workers were killed compared with controls at all ratios examined (insecticide-treated:untreated). These data indicated that workers treated topically with insecticide were capable of somehow transferring a lethal dose of insecticide to untreated workers confined in the vial. Chlordane was recovered from untreated workers which had been confined with chlordane-treated workers; significantly higher quantities of chlordane were recovered from dead workers exposed to chlordane-treated workers compared with surviving workers exposed to chlordane-treated workers. Possible mechanisms of insecticide transfer from insecticide-treated to untreated termites are discussed.