ALTERNATIVES FOR CONTROL OF POPULATIONS OF Atta sexdens: A REVIEW ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF INSECTICIDES FROM NATURAL BOTANICAL PRODUCTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18554/acbiobras.v8i2.8761Keywords:
Natural extracts, leafcutter ant, mortalityAbstract
Ants of the genus Atta (Hymenoptera: Attini) are responsible for large economic losses in agriculture, pastures and forestry. Control strategies have become an important topic to be debated due to controversies over the use of chemical or natural methods. The use of chemical insecticides to control leaf-cutting ants is a current and current problem in our country. Although many are considered persistent like sulfluramid, they are still freely marketed throughout the national territory. However, many studies with natural plant extracts have shown significant results in the control of Atta sexdens L. and Atta sexdens rubropilosa ants. Research carried out in Brazil, with raw extracts, aqueous, or eluted in ethanolic extracts, and fractions with hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol, published since 2002, were reviewed in this work. The aim was to verify and establish a ranking of the average survival and mortality rate of ants provided by the tested insecticides, in order to choose the most efficient botanical compound. The regions of occurrence and the phytogeographic domains were also considered for each plant in order to demonstrate the potential for the production of natural botanical insecticides in Brazil. Plants well known and widely distributed in national biomes such as Ricinus communis, popularly known as “Mamona” and Azadirachta indica, popularly known as “Nim”, were the ones that presented the best results, reiterating the argument of alternative terms for the control of A. sexdens without impacting the environment and people's health.
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