Toxicity of boric acid on workers of some myrmicine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

  • Asmaa Saber Ali, Mahmoud Fadl Ali
Keywords: Toxicity, LC50, LC90. Survival periods.

Abstract

Effect of boric acid on workers of the three pheidole species was nearly the same at each of the five concentrations (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8% and 1%).  After the three weeks, mortality recorded 6.33 ± 0.66 %, 6.63 ± 0.36% and 6.33 ± 0.67% at concentration 0.2 and 96.66 ± 1.86, 96.63±6.6 and 93.33 ± 0.33 at concentration 1 for P.jordanica, P. laticeps and P. sinatica, respectively, comparing to 6.33 ± 0.66 for control.  The LC50 was 1.5 %, 0.8 % and 0.3 %, for P. jordanica, 1.3%, 0.7 % and 0.6% for P. laticeps and 1.1 %, 0.7 % and 0.5 % for P. sinatica, after the first, second and third week post treatment, respectively. The LC90 values recorded 5.5%, 1.8% and 1.0% for P. jordanica, 4.4% 1.3% and 1.2% for P. laticeps and 3.5%, 1.6% and 1.0 for P. sinatica, respectively. The average survival period of workers of was 8, 8 and 7 days for P. jordanica, P. laticeps and P. sinatica, respectively. For Crematogaster inermis, the lower concentration of 0.2, mortality recorded zero and 13.3± 1.6 after 7 and 21 days of exposure, respectively, comparing to zero for control.  At the highest concentration (1%), mortality recorded 26.6± 3.3 and 100% after 7 and 21 days of exposure, respectively, comparing to 3.3± 0.66 for control. The LC50 was 1.3%, 0.6% and 0.35%, whereas the LC90 recorded 2.6 %, 1.2% and 0.6% after the first, second and the third week post treatment, respectively. The average survival period (S50) at 1% was 10 days.

Published
2021-08-26
How to Cite
Mahmoud Fadl Ali, A. S. A. (2021). Toxicity of boric acid on workers of some myrmicine ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) . Design Engineering, 4094- 4101. Retrieved from http://thedesignengineering.com/index.php/DE/article/view/3773
Section
Articles