INSECTICIDAL AND BEHAVIORAL ACTIVITY OF ETOFENPROX AGAINST THE FORMOSAN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE (ISOPTERA, RHINOTERMITIDAE)

Etofenprox is an insecticide with relatively low mammalian toxicity. W hen applied topically to workers from several different colonies of th e Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, the L D(50) of etofenprox of 4.8 to 6.6 was in the same general range as soi l termiticides currently in use. Etofenprox was a relatively quick act ing termiticide, with most mortality occurring within 24 hours. In bot h vertical and horizontal laboratory tunneling assays, etofenprox conc entrations as low as 10 ppm reduced termite penetration of crushed cor al and silica sand, and consistent protection was achieved with concen trations of 100 ppm or greater. Termites avoided contact with the trea ted substrate and mortality was generally low, indicating that most te rmites did not contact the substrate often or long enough to acquire a lethal dose. These results indicate that it may be useful both as a c ontact insecticide for injection into active termite infestations with in structures, and as a soil insecticide to prevent termites from ente ring structures. Although more research is required to establish the l ongevity of etofenprox in the soil under field conditions, our laborat ory results indicate that 100 ppm in the soil is a reasonable minimum target concentration for field application.