Insecticide susceptibility in Coptotermes formosanus and Reticulitermes virginicus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Lethal time to mortality responses were established for eight insecticides against workers and soldiers of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, and workers of Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks). There were significant differences in the tolerance ratios between workers of C. formosanus colonies to all toxicants tested except fipronil. One colony was 16 times more tolerant than another to deltamethin. C. formosanus soldiers had significant differences in tolerance ratios among colonies exposed to all toxicants except chlorpyrifos. Methoxychlor, permethrin, deltamethrin, and fipronil did not kill soldiers from two, one, one, and three colonies, respectively, within 8 h. Seventy-five percent of R. virginicus colonies were significantly less susceptible than the most susceptible colony to chlordane, methoxychlor, chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin, and fipronil, with 50% of the colonies less susceptible to permethrin and bendiocarb. In 50% of C. formosanus colonies the worker lethal time curves displayed substantial flattening in response to permethrin, and deltamethrin. Lethal time curses for C. formosanus soldiers exposed to chlordane, chlorpyrifos, permethrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, and bendiocarb showed substantial flattening. R. virginicus workers demonstrated substantial curve flattening when exposed to chlordane, methoxychlor, chlorpyrifos, deltamethrin, and fipronil. These findings indicate substantial intercolony and intra-colony differences in susceptibility to insecticides.