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Wasabi versus red imported fire ants: preliminary test of repellency of microencapsulated allyl isothiocyanate against Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) using bait traps in Taiwan

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Abstract

Sea container has been identified as a major pathway for the unintended entry and spread of alien ant species. In Japan, red imported fire ants, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), which are among the most harmful alien ants, were first detected in a shipping container from China in May 2017, and the invasion into Japan via the trade pathway is still continuing. To prevent containers contaminated with S. invicta and its establishment in Japan, control measures, such as repellents, are urgently required. The present study is the first to evaluate repellency of microencapsulated allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) against S. invicta, as a preliminary step to use the innovative equipment for invasive species management in sea containers. In a field in Taiwan heavily infested with S. invicta, a repellent test of microencapsulated AITC using bait traps showed that the equipment completely prevents S. invicta from accessing the bait. Due to its volatility and irritancy, AITC, a safe natural repellant in wasabi (Eutrema japonicum (Miq.) Kiudz), has not been used for pest management in containerized cargo. However, the encapsulation of AITC solves this problem by allowing controlled vapor release. Microencapsulated AITC has considerable potential as an effective measure to stop the spread of S. invicta through global trade.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to Mayuko Suwabe and Masako Ogasawara (Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, OIST) for their valuable assistance in the field experiments. We also extend many thanks to Kazuo Honma (PRD Co., Ltd) and Masamitu Yasosima (Moriya industry) for providing experimental materials. Field experiments could not have been accomplished without their kind assistance. We also thank Steven D. Aird (Division of Faculty Affairs, OIST) for editing the manuscript.

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This research received no specific grant from any funding agency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Hyogo/The Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Yayoigaoka 6, Sanda, Hyogo, 669-1546, Japan

    Yoshiaki Hashimoto

  2. Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan

    Masashi Yoshimura

  3. Department of Entomology, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd, Taipei, 10617, Taiwan

    Rong-Nan Huang

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  1. Yoshiaki Hashimoto
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Correspondence to Yoshiaki Hashimoto.

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Supplementary movie: Repellent behavior of S. invicta on bait trap with microencapsulated AITC film.

Supplementary movie from the paper “Wasabi versus red imported fire ants; Preliminary test of repellency of microencapsulated allyl isothiocyanate against Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) using bait traps in Taiwan” authored by Yoshiaki Hashimoto, Masashi Yoshimura and Rong-Nan Huang, published in XXXXXXX.

Supplementary material 1 (MPG 824 kb)

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Hashimoto, Y., Yoshimura, M. & Huang, RN. Wasabi versus red imported fire ants: preliminary test of repellency of microencapsulated allyl isothiocyanate against Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) using bait traps in Taiwan. Appl Entomol Zool 54, 193–196 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13355-019-00613-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13355-019-00613-5

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