Trail-following Disruption in the Invasive Argentine Ant with a Synthetic Trail Pheromone Component (Z)-9-hexadecenal

Abstract

We newly conceived the idea of trail-following disruption of a highly invasive ant species, the Argentine ant Linepithema humile, using a synthetic trail pheromone component (Z)-9-hexadecenal. Alongwith this concept, attempts have been made to develop novel methodologies to control this cosmopolitan pest. In this report, polyethylene tube dispensers containing synthetic (Z)-9-hexadecenal were prepared, and effects on Argentine ant trail-following behavior and recruitment to baits were investigated. Treatment with a dispenser near a natural Argentine ant trail dramatically disrupted the trail-following behavior, and the ants wandered around an area near the trail and dispenser. Furthermore, treatment with dispensers of a 100 m 2 field largely suppressed Argentine ant recruitment to baits. These results demonstrated the usefulness of the long-life dispensers for further long-term field experiments to develop practical control methodologies for pest ants with synthetic trail pheromones. However, despite the above clear effects, the data also suggested an incomplete effect of the disruption using (Z)-9-hexadecenal alone. Further improvement of the trail-disruption effects and realizing practical control with synthetic trail pheromone are discussed.