Feeding inhibition and mortality in Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) after exposure to imidacloprid-treated soils

Feeding inhibition and mortality of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) exposed to sand, sandy loam, loam, and silty clay loam soils treated with several concentrations of imidacloprid were studied using bioassay techniques under laboratory conditions. Termite workers stopped feeding after exposure to treated soils. Differences in feeding reduction varied among the soil types. Based on the magnitude of the F-statistics, the effect of imidacloprid on the reduction of termite feeding was greatest in sand followed by sandy loam, loam, and silty clay loam soils. Soil properties such as organic matter content, silt and clay proportions, pH, and cation exchange capacity were suggested to affect the bioavailability of imidacloprid. Similar soil effects on mortality were observed in termites continuously exposed to treated soil for 21 d. In three of four soils tested, susceptibility to imidacloprid was not affected by the source of the termites tested.