Bioactivity of Asclepias curassavica, Equisetum spp. and Rosmarinus officinalis Extracts Against Leaf-Cutting Ants

Authors

  • Vânia Maria Ramos Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia
  • Rafael Gervasoni Ferreira Leite Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia
  • Viviane Tavares de Almeida Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia
  • Roberto da Silva Camargo Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia
  • João Vitor Souza Cruz Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia
  • Renato Marcos de Leão Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia
  • Matheus Venâncio Prado Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia
  • Mariana Cristina Sousa Pereira Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v66i4.4271

Keywords:

Atta spp., plant extracts, botanical insecticides, alternative control

Abstract

Chemical control of leaf-cutting ants is widely used, but alternative control with toxic plant extracts is promising. Substances with insecticidal potential extracted from plants have numerous ecological advantages. This study evaluated the insecticidal and/or fungicidal potential of the plants Asclepias curassavica (tropical milkweed), Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Lamiaceae) (rosemary) and Equisetum spp. (horsetail) for control of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel, 1908 (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). Forty laboratory-reared colonies of Atta sexdens rubropilosa were used. The plants were collected, dried out in a circulating air oven for 48 hours, ground, and macerated in 96o ethanol until exhaustion. After filtration, the products were evaporated under reduced pressure to obtain the ethanolic extracts. Acceptance of the reagent, topical application of the extracts, and application of baits containing 4% of the plant extracts were tested. The results showed that all plant extracts tested negatively influenced the development of the fungus garden. Baits produced with Asclepias curassavica caused the highest mortality of the colonies within 7 days. In conclusion, the ethanolic extracts of Asclepias curassavica, Rosmarinus officinalis and Equisetum spp. exhibit insecticidal (contact and ingestion) and fungicidal activity in colonies of the leaf-cutting ant Atta sexdens rubropilosa.

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Author Biographies

Vânia Maria Ramos, Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia

Laboratório de Entomologia Agrícola

Rafael Gervasoni Ferreira Leite, Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia

Laboratório de Entomologia Agrícola

Viviane Tavares de Almeida, Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia

Laboratório de Entomologia Agrícola

Roberto da Silva Camargo, Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia

Laboratório de Entomologia Agrícola

João Vitor Souza Cruz, Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia

Laboratório de Entomologia Agrícola

Renato Marcos de Leão, Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia

Laboratório de Entomologia Agrícola

Matheus Venâncio Prado, Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia

Laboratório de Entomologia Agrícola

Mariana Cristina Sousa Pereira, Universidade do Oeste Paulista Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias Departamento de Agronomia

Laboratório de Entomologia Agrícola

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Published

2019-12-30

How to Cite

Ramos, V. M., Leite, R. G. F., Almeida, V. T. de, Camargo, R. da S., Cruz, J. V. S., Leão, R. M. de, Prado, M. V., & Pereira, M. C. S. (2019). Bioactivity of Asclepias curassavica, Equisetum spp. and Rosmarinus officinalis Extracts Against Leaf-Cutting Ants. Sociobiology, 66(4), 536–544. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v66i4.4271

Issue

Vol. 66 No. 4 (2019)

Section

Research Article - Ants

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