Coptotermes gestroi (Wassman 1896) is one of the worst pests in tropic areas, economically. Two types of curative methods are used since decades to eliminate colonies that attack constructions: injection of biocidal treatment solutions on wood, walls and soil, and population control using baits. In application of the current regulations, the first technique can no longer be used in Europe, to limit the pollution of soil and groundwater. Thus, it is important to develop sustainable slow acting non-repellent toxicant for bait systems. In the present study, the efficacy of Pea Albumin subunit 1b (PA1b), a 37 amino acid peptide identified in the seeds of Pisum sativum, was tested against micro-colonies of C.gestroi from La Réunion (France). Six concentrations of PA1b treated filter paper (0,15 to 6 mg of PA1b per gram of paper) were tested in laboratory non-choice trial, in accordance with standardized protocols. The results shows that PA1b is not repellent to the termites and toxic. We observed a positive correlation between the concentration of PA1b in treated paper and the number of days to reach full mortality of the micro-colonies (22 to 52 days). This number of days is comparable to that of active substances currently used. Thus, PA1b could be a good candidate for the formulation of bait systems against C.gestroi. In order to develop a commercial formulation, these results must be confirmed by choice laboratory tests and field tests. It also appears interesting to test PA1b against other species of termites.

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