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Trail Pheromone Disruption of Argentine Ant Trail Formation and Foraging

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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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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the New Zealand Foundation for Research Science and Technology (“Managing Invasive Hymenoptera”, contract C06X0601) and the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service (“Park-Oriented Biological Support”). Thanks also to “Better Border Biosecurity” (www.b3nz.org). We thank J. Cappadonna, M. Euaparadorn, M. Stelmach, C. Pinzari, G. Ryman, and C. Stephen for help conducting field trials. Suterra LLC kindly provided the formulation at our request. Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, PB 4704, Christchurch, New Zealand

    David Maxwell Suckling & Lloyd D. Stringer

  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

    Robert W. Peck & Kirsten Snook

  3. U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Hawai‘i National Park, HI, 96718, USA

    Paul C. Banko

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  1. David Maxwell Suckling
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  2. Robert W. Peck
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  3. Lloyd D. Stringer
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Correspondence to David Maxwell Suckling.

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Suckling, D.M., Peck, R.W., Stringer, L.D. et al. Trail Pheromone Disruption of Argentine Ant Trail Formation and Foraging. J Chem Ecol 36, 122–128 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-009-9734-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-009-9734-1

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