Trail Pheromone Disruption of Argentine Ant Trail Formation and Foraging |
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| Authors: | David Maxwell Suckling Robert W Peck Lloyd D Stringer Kirsten Snook Paul C Banko |
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| Affiliation: | (1) The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, PB 4704, Christchurch, New Zealand;(2) Hawai‘i Cooperative Studies Unit, Pacific Aquaculture and Coastal Resources Center, University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Hawai‘i National Park, HI 96718, USA;(3) U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Hawai‘i National Park, HI 96718, USA |
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| Abstract: | Trail pheromone disruption of invasive ants is a novel tactic that builds on the development of pheromone-based pest management
in other insects. Argentine ant trail pheromone, (Z)-9-hexadecenal, was formulated as a micro-encapsulated sprayable particle and applied against Argentine ant populations in
400 m2 field plots in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. A widely dispersed point source strategy for trail pheromone disruption was
used. Traffic rates of ants in bioassays of treated filter paper, protected from rainfall and sunlight, indicated the presence
of behaviorally significant quantities of pheromone being released from the formulation for up to 59 days. The proportion
of plots, under trade wind conditions (2–3 m s−1), with visible trails was reduced for up to 14 days following treatment, and the number of foraging ants at randomly placed
tuna-bait cards was similarly reduced. The success of these trail pheromone disruption trials in a natural ecosystem highlights
the potential of this method for control of invasive ant species in this and other environments. |
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