Efficacy of hexaflumuron against the fungus-growing termitePseudacanthotermesspiniger(Sjöstedt) (isoptera, macrotermitinae)

The efficacy of hexaflumuron, a benzophenylurea insecticide, has been studied for the first time on a fungus-growing termite (Pseudacanthotermes spiniger Sjostedt, Macrotermitinae). Results show that hexaflumuron could be useful in treating infestations of such pest species, which are of great economic importance in many tropical and equatorial countries. Foraging workers harvested and introduced treated food into the nest and subsequently contaminated the brood by trophallaxis. Hexaflumuron showed potent larvicidal activity. The compound did not appear to be rapidly degraded by the digestive enzymes of termite workers, nor by the symbiotic fungus Termitomyces eurhizus Heim growing on fungu…