Abstract
We examined the behavior of Formosan subterranean termites toward one of the components of vetiver grass oil, the roots of which manufacture insect repellents. We found nootkatone, a sesquiterpene ketone, isolated from vetiver oil is a strong repellent and toxicant to Formosan subterranean termites. The lowest effective concentration tested was 10 μg/g substrate. This is the first report of nootkatone being a repellent to insects.
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Zhu, B.C.R., Henderson, G., Chen, F. et al. Nootkatone Is a Repellent for Formosan Subterranean Termite (Coptotermes formosanus). J Chem Ecol 27, 523–531 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010301308649
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010301308649