Laboratory response of the eastern subterranean termite,Reticulitermes flavipes, to neighboring populations of the Formosan subterranean termite,Coptotermes formosanus, baited with noviflumuron

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Bernard
Sociobiology ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beverly Wiltz

Two subterranean termite species were subjected to combinations of six temperatures (10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, or 35°C) and five relative humidities (RH) (55, 65, 75, 85, or 99%) to determine optimum conditions for survival. When small groups of the Formosan subterranean termite Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki or the eastern subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) were exposed to all 30 combinations of temperature and RH, survival times were significantly influenced by temperature, RH, and their interaction. For both species, survival times were longest at low temperatures and high RH. Maximum survival of small groups of C. formosanus and R. flavipes workers and soldiers occurred at the combination of 10°C and 99% RH C (LT50= 28.2 d, LT50 = 18.1 d, respectively). Survival of paired C. formosanus dealates was evaluated at combinations of 20°, 25°, or 30°C and 55, 65, 75, 85, or 99% RH. Survival was strongly influenced by temperature and humidity. Longest survival times until 50% mortality occurred at 99% RH and 20° or 25°C (LT50= 2.5 d, LT50 = 3.0 d, respectively). At all temperatures, mortality occurred too quickly for LT50 values to be determined when RH was 55% or 65%.


1988 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nan-Yao Su ◽  
Rudolf H. Scheffrahn ◽  
Paul Ban

Workers of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, and the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) were force-fed a dye marker, Sudan Red 7B, and confined with different proportions of unmarked termites. No significant mortality due to the dye was detected for up to 8 weeks after the treatment in either species. The marked/unmarked proportion did not affect the retention of the dye or mortality. Workers of C. formosanus retained visible dye for 6 weeks, while significant numbers (10–50%) of marked R. flavipes lost the dye within two weeks. Sudan Red 7B is suitable for estimating population size of C. formosanus with the multiple-marking method where the mark-recapture period extends to 6 weeks. The dye is not an adequate marker for R. flavipes when the mark-recapture period is ≥ 2 weeks.


2005 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 268-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew T. Messenger ◽  
Nan-Yao Su

Beginning in 1998, multiple mark-recapture studies were conducted inside 12.75-ha Louis Armstrong Park in New Orleans, LA, to locate and characterize all detectable colonies of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), established within the park. This is the first attempt to characterize subterranean termite colonies on such a large scale within a defined area. As a result, 13 C. formosanus colonies were identified using characteristics such as mean worker weight (range, 2.96–4.54 mg), foraging territory size (range, 83–1634 m2), and wood consumption rate (range, 0.6–5.2 g wood/monitoring station/day). In addition, six Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) colonies were identified throughout the park. A total of 251 of 785 (~32%) trees in the park were infested by C. formosanus colonies. Foraging territories of each colony remained relatively stable over a 4-yr period, with seasonal activity within monitoring stations increasing during the summer and decreasing during winter.


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 453-458
Author(s):  
G. B. Lindsey ◽  
T. L. Amburgey ◽  
H. M. Barnes

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine if the same soldier:worker ratio could be used in the eastern subterranean termite (Reticulitermes flavipes) and the Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus) in standard tests. Native (R. flavipes) and introduced (C. formosanus) subterranean termite species were tested in an American Wood Protection Association E1 standard laboratory test. Statistically equivalent weight losses were found as long as the ratio was within 10 percent of the rate required by the standard.


Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 218
Author(s):  
Lucas Carnohan ◽  
Sang-Bin Lee ◽  
Nan-Yao Su

Effective active ingredients in toxicant bait formulations must be non-deterrent to insect feeding behavior at lethal concentrations. This study evaluated feeding deterrence for Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, C. gestroi (Wasmann), and Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) when provided access to cellulose impregnated with various concentrations of the insect molting hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). Termites were exposed to 20E concentrations of 200, 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm and to noviflumuron at 5000 ppm in a 24 h choice-test, and the mass of substrate consumption from treated and untreated media pads was compared for each treatment. 20E feeding deterrence was detected at 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm for C. gestroi, and at 2000 ppm for C. formosanus. No significant differences in consumption of treated and untreated substrate was detected at any concentration for R. flavipes. Potential methods for reducing deterrence are discussed.


2003 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 467-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.-Y. Su ◽  
P.N. Scherer

AbstractDuring the early stages of the development of termite baits, dyed paper was placed in specified feeding stations to ascertain whether a slow-acting toxicant could be placed in a few bait stations to be delivered to the entire colony members of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. Feeding frequency data, as measured by the dye concentration in individual termites, suggested the absence of feeding site fidelity. However, these results were often misinterpreted as random movement of termites that were marked and released for population estimate studies, or the random search of food in soil by subterranean termites. A computer simulation program was constructed to re-examine this feeding frequency data, and confirmed the earlier conclusion that the lack of feeding site fidelity was the most likely explanation for the data.


Insects ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 1190-1199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Tarver ◽  
Christopher Florane ◽  
Christopher Mattison ◽  
Beth Holloway ◽  
Alan Lax

2004 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 525-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Cabrera ◽  
Shripat T. Kamble

Supercooling points were determined for untreated field-collected and untreated laboratory-maintained Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) workers and soldiers. Workers treated with antibiotics or had their hindgut-protozoa removed by exposing them to oxygen under pressure to determine the effects of absence of the hindgut fauna on supercooling. Supercooling points were compared between live and freshly-killed workers to determine whether supercooling in this species might be simply due to the biochemical properties of body fluids. Laboratory-maintained workers were also subjected to desiccation, starvation, or atmospheric pressure to determine their effects on supercooling. Supercooling points were lowest for laboratory workers treated with antibiotics and those that fed on brown paper-toweling for 7 d. Untreated field-collected workers had significantly higher supercooling points than untreated laboratory-maintained workers (−6.06 ± 0.79°C vs −9.29 ± 2.38°C, P < 0.0001). Both untreated field-collected and laboratory soldiers had significantly lower supercooling points than their respective workers (−7.39 ± 2.01°C vs −6.06 ± 0.79°C, P < 0.0001; and −11.60 ± 2.53°C vs −9.29 ± 2.38°C, P< 0.0001, respectively). There was no significant association between termite body mass and supercooling points for both laboratory and field termites (P= 0.0523 and P = 0.6242) or water content of laboratory termites and supercooling points (P = 0.1425). Defaunated workers had significantly lower supercooling points (−10.34 ± 2.38°C) than normally faunated workers (−9.48 ± 1.85°C)(P= 0.0095) suggesting that the symbiotic fauna may have higher supercooling points and act as ice nucleators in the termite hindgut. Starved and desiccated workers had significantly lower supercooling points (−10.38 ± 2.70°C and −10.39 ± 2.38°C, respectively) than their corresponding control groups (−9.87 ± 2.11°C and −9.89 ± 1.94°C; P = 0.0454; P = 0.0234, respectively) and untreated workers (−9.29 ± 2.38°C; P= 0.0021; P= 0.0011) suggesting that some forms of physical stress might lower the supercooling point.


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