Fumigation Effects and Behavioral Responses of Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis Invicta Buren) to Six Plant Essential Oils

Abstract

Abstract The red imported fire ant (RIFA), Solenopsis Invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is an invasive species that is considered to be among the 100 most dangerous species to human health and the environment. RIFA is currently controlled primarily by chemical pesticides. Human health concerns and environmental problems require environmentally friendly, green control technology. In this study, the HS-SPME–GC/MS method was used to determine the volatile components of six essential oils, namely I. verum, B. balsamifera, C. lemon, A. tatarinowii, M. chinensis and C. cassia, as well as the fumigation activity of RIFA. There was an identification of D-Limonene as a core volatile. Except for C. limon essential oil, all other five plant essential oils exhibit excellent fumigation activity under the treatment of a high dose (10 µL) within 24 h. All plant essential oils are capable of causing the death of all red fire ants, while C. limon essential oil exhibits the lowest fumigation activity at 63.25%. Significant reductions in RIFA aggregation, aggressiveness, and gripping abilities were observed with all plant essential oils, and antenna sensilla appeared to bend or break. Moreover, after treating red ant fire ants with essential oil for 24 h, three protective enzymes were assessed. All six plant essential oils were shown to have enhanced enzyme activities for superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and catalase (CAT). It has been shown that plant essential oils have the capability of reducing the viability of red fire ants via physiological, receptor, and behavioral factors, ultimately causing them to die off. In this study, plant oils were demonstrated to be negatively affecting RIFA and providing a green and environmentally sustainable control method.