Neil A. Spomer, nspomer@yahoo.com and Shripat T. Kamble. University of Nebraska, Department of Entomology, 202 Plant Industry Building, Lincoln, NE
14C-noviflumuron uptake, clearance, loss in fecal material, and transfer from treated to untreated termite workers were evaluated at 15°, 19°, 23°, and 27°C. Feeding units were constructed using plastic containers (6.5 x 17.5 cm) provisioned with washed/oven dried sand, distilled water, and 14C-noviflumuron treated feeding disks (0.05 or 0.5% A.I.) for a specific period of time. Feeding units were held in environmental growth chambers pre-set at 15°, 19°, 23°, and 27°C. Uptake of noviflumuron by R. flavipes workers at 15°C was ≈2.8 fold less than at 19° or 23°C, and ≈4.4 fold less than at 27°C. The highest uptake of 14C-noviflumuron occurred at 144 hr at 27°C. Most transfer of 14C-noviflumuron from treated to untreated termite workers occurred between 19° to 27°C. 14C-noviflumuron had a half-life in R. flavipes workers of ≈31 to 45 d dependent on temperature. A higher amount of 14C-noviflumuron was lost through excretion at 19°C (≈15-22%) compared to 15°C (0.27%). Results indicate that noviflumuron performance was better at warmer temperatures (19-27°C) and uptake, transfer, and clearance were significantly lower at 15°C.
Species 1: Isoptera Rhinotermitidae
Reticulitermes flavipes (eastern subterranean termite)
Keywords: Noviflumuron, Termite baiting