Canadian Forest Service Publications
The toxic effects of fatty acids and their salts on the balsam woolly aphid, Adelges picea (Ratz.) 1975. Puritch, G.S. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 5(4): 515-522.
Year: 1975
Issued by: Pacific Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 1594
Language: English
Availability: Not available through the CFS (click for more information).
Available from the Journal's Web site. †
DOI: 10.1139/x75-075
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Abstract
Fatty acids and their potassium soaps were screened for their toxicity to different life stages and eggs of the balsam woolly aphid (Adelgespiceae (Ratz.)). The most effective fatty acids for causing aphid mortality were in two major groups, one centering around capric acid (C10) within the low-chain saturated fatty acid series and the other around oleic acid (C18:1), within the unsaturated 18-carbon fatty acids. The potassium soaps were better aphicides than the corresponding acids; the soaps of caprylic, capric, oleic, and linoleic acids were the most effective. Eggs were less sensitive to the soaps than later stages of the aphid, and there was a large variation in their response to the soap treatments. The possibility of using fatty acids and soaps as a control for the balsam woolly aphid is discussed.