Journal of Chemical Ecology (2005) 31, 509-517

Ashok K. Raina, John M. Bland and Weste Osbrink (2005)
Hydroquinone is not a phagostimulant for the Formosan subterranean termite
Journal of Chemical Ecology 31 (3), 509-517
Abstract: It has been suggested that hydroquinone found in the labial glands of a number of termite species acts as a primary phagostimulating factor. We tested hydroquinone as a phagostimulant using workers from three colonies of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, under both laboratory and field conditions. Hydroquinone at concentrations ranging from ca. 0.002-20.0 ng/cm² did not increase visitation by C. formosanus workers to treated over control filter papers, and was actually repellent at a 20 ng/cm² dose. No phagostimulant response to hydroquinone was observed in two colonies. In the third, there was a significant increase in feeding on filter paper treated with a 2 ng/cm² dose, but was significantly lower at a 20 ng/cm² dose. Furthermore, sand treated with a gradient of hydroquinone, did not evoke increased tunneling activity compared with controls. GC-MS analysis of C. formosanus workers indicated that hydroquinone was present at an average of 41 pg/worker. It was also determined that within one week about 11%hydroquinone in aqueous solution oxidized to 1,4-benzoquinone. Our findings indicate that hydroquinone alone does not act as a phagostimulant but instead may act as a repellent at higher concentrations. The attractant/arrestant of the Formosan termite may have multiple components of which hydroquinone, at low doses, could be one.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Ashok K. Raina, Weste L.A. Osbrink, John M. Bland

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
pheromones/attractants/traps
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Coptotermes formosanus