Correction to: You don’t have the guts: a diverse set of fungi survive passage through Macrotermes bellicosus termite guts

Addition of edible insects to local staples used as complementary foods can improve their nutrient content. Nutritional quality and safety of Macrotermes bellicosus enriched boiled rice (BR) and yam (BY) complementary foods (CFs) was assessed using rats. Macrotermes bellicosus (MB) were collected, dried, and refrigerated at -4oC. Ground MB was added to BR and BY in ratios 10.0%, 15.0%, 20.0% (w/w) to give BR1, BY1; BR2, BY2, and BR3, BY3 respectively. Nutrient content of MB, BY, BR and MB-enriched CFs were determined by AOAC methods. Nutrient bioavailability and safety of BR3 and BY3 were assessed using rats fed ad libitum for 28 days. Serum trace minerals in the CFs, control and basal diets and histopathological effects of CFs on rats’ organs were determined. Data were analysed using ANOVA at p<0.05. Dried MB contained 31.8g protein, 16.4g fat, 3.8g ash, 227.5mg calcium, 2.1mg iron, 15.0mg zinc, 330.4μg retinol equivalent (RE), and 529.0kcal energy/100g sample. The BR and BY contained 3.7-5.9g protein, 70.0-120mg calcium,4.2-5.6mg iron, 1.2-1.5mg zinc and 380- 386kcal/100g compared with 7.9-15.3g protein, 242.2-264mg calcium, 2.4-4.4mg iron, 15.1-19.8mg zinc and 357-372kcal/100g enriched CFs (p<0.05). Rats Serum trace minerals ranged between 3.4- 4.3mg zinc, 23.4-27.9mg calcium, 30.6-37.0mg iron; and 52.5-56.9μg RE, compared with control (3.2, 22.2, 34.1, 48.2) and basal (2.2, 21.1, 24.0 mg, 32.3 μg) diets respectively (p<0.05). No pathological lesions were observed in internal organs of rats on CF diets. Adding Macrotermes bellicosus to local complementary foods is safe and improved their nutritional quality, hence its use is recommended among mothers.

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Effects of termite damage to maize of seed extracts of Azadirachta indica and Piper guineense in farmers' fields

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s002185969900670x ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 133 (4) ◽

pp. 403-407 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

V. C. UMEH ◽

M. F. IVBIJARO

Keyword(s):

Azadirachta Indica ◽

Planting Density ◽

Piper Guineense ◽

Termite Attack ◽

Macrotermes Bellicosus ◽

Maize Yields ◽

Natural Insecticides ◽

Cropping Seasons ◽

Local Plants ◽

Seed Extracts

The efficacy of insecticides derived from two local plants was tested on termites infesting maize in maize–cassava–‘Egusi’ melon intercrops in two farmers' fields in south-western Nigeria during the 1989/90 and 1990/91 cropping seasons. The intercrops consisted of 40000, 20000, and 10000 maize plants/ha, with a fixed population of 10000 plants/ha of both cassava and melon. The insecticides were aqueous extracts of ripe seeds of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) and the crude seed oil of Piper guineense Schum And Thonn, each at 10% concentration at the rate of 390 litres/ha and 18 litres/ha, respectively. On the plots treated with these natural insecticides, damage by termites [Microtermes spp., Macrotermes bellicosus Smeathman = nigeriensis Sjostedt and M. subhyalinus Rambur (Isoptera: Termitidae)] was significantly lower and maize yields higher than on the control plots. The mean percentage of maize stems attacked by termites (considering all categories of termite damage) in untreated plots during the trials ranged between 0–22% in 1989 and 2–46% in 1990. Planting densities did not significantly influence termite attack on maize. Cassava and melon plants or cassava tubers were not attacked by termites in any of the trials and their yields were not affected by insecticide treatments or planting density of maize.

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Use of the proteomic tool MALDI-TOF MS in termite identification

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-04574-0 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Bouthaina Hasnaoui ◽

Adama Zan Diarra ◽

Jean-Michel Berenger ◽

Hacène Medkour ◽

Ahmed Benakhla ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ionization Mass ◽

Laser Desorption Ionization ◽

Termite Species ◽

Maldi Tof Ms ◽

Maldi Tof ◽

Promising Tool ◽

Macrotermes Bellicosus ◽

Amitermes Evuncifer ◽

Macrotermes Herus ◽

Tof Ms

AbstractMatrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has proved effective for the identification of many arthropods. A total of 432 termite specimens were collected in Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Senegal, Switzerland and France. Morphologically, 22 species were identified, including Ancistrotermes cavithorax, Amitermes evuncifer, Cryptotermes brevis, Cubitermes orthognathus, Kalotermes flavicollis, Macrotermes bellicosus, Macrotermes herus, Macrotermes ivorensis, Macrotermes subhyalinus, Microcerotermes parvus, Microtermes sp., Odontotermes latericius, Procubitermes sjostedti, Promirotermes holmgreni, Reticulitermes grassei, Reticulitermes lucifugus, Reticulitermes santonensis, Trinervitermes geminatus, Trinervitermes occidentalis, Trinervitermes togoensis, Trinervitermes sp., Trinervitermes trinervoides and Trinervitermes trinervius. Analysis of MALDI-TOF MS spectra profiles from termites revealed that all were of high quality, with intra-species reproducibility and inter-species specificity. Blind testing of the spectra of 389 termites against our updated database with the spectra of 43 specimens of different termite species revealed that all were correctly identified with log score values (LSVs) ranging from 1.65 to 2.851, mean 2.290 ± 0.225, median 2.299, and 98.4% (383) had LSVs > 1.8. This study is the first on the use of MALDI-TOF for termite identification and shows its importance as a tool for arthropod taxonomy and reinforces the idea that MALDI-TOF MS is a promising tool in the field of entomology.

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Influence of pesticides, soil temperature and moisture on entomopathogenic nematodes from southern Benin and control of underground termite nest populations

Nematology ◽

10.1163/15685411-00002923 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 17 (9) ◽

pp. 1057-1069 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Hugues Baimey ◽

Lionel Zadji ◽

Leonard Afouda ◽

Maurice Moens ◽

Wilfrida Decraemer

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Soil Temperature ◽

Entomopathogenic Nematodes ◽

Galleria Mellonella ◽

Macrotermes Bellicosus ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact ◽

Termite Nest ◽

Southern Benin ◽

Soil Temperature And Moisture

The influence of three pesticides on the viability and infectivity of four Beninese isolates of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), Heterorhabditis indica Ayogbe1, H. sonorensis Azohoue2, H. sonorensis Ze3, and Steinernema sp. Bembereke, was determined. The impact of both soil temperature and soil moisture on the virulence of these EPN to Trinervitermes occidentalis was investigated in laboratory assays. The effect of EPN-infected Galleria mellonella larvae on underground populations of Macrotermes bellicosus was also examined. All tested Heterorhabditis species were more tolerant to glyphosate and fipronil than the Steinernema species. Heterorhabditis sonorensis Azohoue2, showed the best results with 63.2% termite mortality at a soil temperature of 35°C. The increase of soil moisture to 20% (w/w) did not negatively influence the virulence of tested EPN. The underground populations of 71% or 60% treated nests were controlled by H. sonorensis Azohoue2- or H. indica Ayogbe1-infected G. mellonella larvae, respectively.

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