Potential use of essential oils to control the leaf-cutting ants; Atta sexdens rubropilosa and Acromyrmex subterraneus molestans (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Abstract

The present study was developed in order to evaluate the effect of five essential oils on the workers of the leaf-cutting ants; Atta sexdens rubropilosa and Acromyrmex subterraneus molestans by contact with a treated surface and ingestion with a treated leaves.. The essential oils of cinnamon, clove and mustard had generally more effective with 5, 10 and 15% concentrations after 24, 48, 72 and 96 h against workers of A. sexdens rubropilosa and A. subterraneus molestans in contact bioassay, but mustard was the most effective in ingestion bioassay on both species. On the other hand, there was no significant difference among the essential oils with 1% concentration and control after 24, 48 and 72 h of treatment in contact and ingestion bioassays against workers of A. sexdens rubropilosa. However, Andiroba oil had less efficiency values in all concentrations been used. Therefore, the essential oils of mustard, cinnamon and clove have contact and ingestion effects on workers of A. sexdens rubropilosa and A. subterraneus molestans, and may be promising on the leaf-cutting ant control. The bioassays were performed with workers of Atta sexdens rubropilosa and Acromyrmex subterraneus molestans. The workers were caught incolonies located around the Campus of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Than these colonies were maintained at a temperature of 25 ± 5°C, RH of 75 ± 5% in 24 h scotophase, and fed with leaves of different vegetables, changed daily, as well as a water supply (Della Lucia et al., 1993). The volumes of the fungus gardens were at least three liters per colony.