Comparison of natural and conventional insecticides against Formosan termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Abstract:
Five natural and 16 synthetic compounds were evaluated for termiticidal activity against the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). The naphthoquinones menadione, plumbagin, and juglone, and the benzoquinones thymoquinone, and coenzyme Q1 killed all the termites at their higher rates. However, these naturally derived compounds were generally less active when compared with the conventional insecticides: permethrin, cis-permethrin, trans-permethrin, cypermethrin, a-cypermethrin, ß-cypermethrin, bifenthrin, fenvalerate, cyfluthrin, ß-cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, tralomethrin, chlorpyrifos, propoxur, imidacloprid, and boric acid. Evaluated natural products displayed minimal termiticidal activity at < 0.5 % wt:wt. All of the synthetic insecticides caused 100 % mortality at < 0.05 % wt:wt except boric acid.