Investigating the Biology of Leaf-Cutting Ants to Support the Development of Alternative Methods for the Control and Management of These Agricultural Pests

Virginia Elena Masiulionis and Richard Ian Samuels ()
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Virginia Elena Masiulionis: Postgraduate Program in Agriculture and Biodiversity, Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão 49107-230, SE, Brazil
Richard Ian Samuels: Laboratory of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Universidade Estadual Do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes 28013-602, RJ, Brazil

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 6, 1-31

Abstract: Concerns about the environmental and health risks of synthetic insecticides are driving the search for alternative pest control methods. Leaf-cutting ants (LCAs), one of the most significant pests in the neotropics, cause substantial economic damage to agriculture and present challenges for control due to their complex biology and ecology. While chemical control remains the primary strategy, its intensive use has negative environmental impacts, promotes pest resistance, and endangers non-target species, including plants, animals, and humans. This review describes the biology of LCAs, examines traditional control methods and suggests alternative strategies such as the use of entomopathogenic fungi (EPFs) combined with sublethal doses of insecticides, plant essential oils (EOs), and RNAi techniques. Here, we emphasize the need to address LCA management sustainably by investigating the biology and ecology at both the “colony” and “individual” levels. Colony-level factors include morphology, life cycle, behavior, division of labor, and nest structure, while individual-level mechanisms involve sensory, biochemical, and behavioral adaptations for garden sterilization and decontamination. This review also highlights the potential of sublethal insecticide doses combined with EPFs to induce behavioral changes and worker mortality, and it details the mode of action of EOs and the use of RNAi as promising control strategies. The integration of biological and chemical approaches could offer sustainable alternatives to synthetic insecticides.

Keywords: Formicidae; Acromyrmex; Atta; entomopathogenic fungi; neonicotinoids; plant essential oils; RNAi; integrated pest management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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