Behavioral responses of Reticulitermes flaviceps to Lantana camara leaf extracts
[Objectives] To determine the olfactory behavioral responses of Reticulitermes flaviceps to Lantana camara leaf extracts. [Methods] Behavioral responses of fasted, and fed, R. flaviceps to chloroform, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether, extracts of L. camara leaf volatiles were measured in a Y-tube olfactometer under different airflow velocities and observation periods of different durations, and also by the small filter paper disk method. [Results] Optimal conditions for Y-tube olfactometer tests were when termites had been fasted for 12 h, the airflow velocity was 2 L/min, and the observation period was 10 min. The results of both the Y-tube olfactometer and small filter paper disk methods showed that the chloroform, ethyl acetate and petroleum ether, extracts of L. camara leaf volatiles were all repellent to termites; the higher the concentration of the extracts, the stronger the repellence. [Conclusions] L. camara leaves contain volatile substances that are repellent to R. flaviceps.
Reticulitermes flavicepsLantana camaraY-tube olfactometersmall filter paper diskbehavioral response