Habitat preference and current distribution of Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla L. 1758) in Dorokha Dungkhag, Samtse, southern Bhutan

The Chinese Pangolin (CP), Manis pentadactyla L. is one of the two pangolin species recorded in Bhutan. Not many studies, however, were carried out on the species in Bhutan. The present study was carried out to assess the habitat preference and current distribution of CP, Manis pentadactyla in Dorokha Dungkhag, Samtse from January to March 2017. Belt transect method consisting of 100 x 100 m each was used to assess the habitat preference and estimate burrow density, coupled with an extensive search of indirect signs of pangolin presence (burrows, scat, footprint, scales, scratches) was utilized to determine the current distribution of the CP. Modelling of habitat was carried out using QGIS and Maxent. A total of 181 burrows were recorded from 48 plots with burrow density of 0.104 per hectare. These were mostly distributed in the habitat dominated by needlework trees (Schima wallichii), evergreen broadleaf (Castanopsis hytrix) and shrubs (Viburnum species). The preferred habitat of the CP was recorded to range from an altitude of 1,300–1,700 m, with highest feeding activities recorded within the periphery of cardamom plantation and adjacent forested area. A higher burrow density was recorded in humid soils, with high termite presence, and in the vicinity of human settlements. Habitat modelling revealed that 23.57km2 of the study area was highly suitable and 37.88km2 was a suitable habitat for the species. Similar studies are suggested to be carried out in other parts of Bhutan in different seasons to better understand the species and its distribution in the country.

High termite richness in an urban fragment of Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil

Termites are very abundant in tropical ecosystems and have active roles in nutrient cycling and soil formation, but few studies of their assemblages have been undertaken in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The present study analyzed the composition of termite assemblages in a fragment of Atlantic Forest embedded within an urban matrix in northeastern Brazil. Five standardized sampling protocols of termites were applied, with a total sampling effort of 1500m2. We encountered 45 species of termites belonging to 25 genera and three families. The soil-feeders group demonstrated the greatest species richness, while wood-feeders species were the most abundant. The species richness of termite in the study area was the greatest yet recorded for an Atlantic forest site in Brazil, indicating the importance of urban fragments for conserving tropical biodiversity.

Can lizard richness be driven by termite diversity? Insights from the Brazilian Cerrado

We test predictions of the Morton and James hypothesis, which states that high termite diversity promotes high lizard diversity. We explore consumption of termites by lizards in the Brazilian Cerrado, a system that shares many similarites with arid Australia whose fauna formed the basis for the original hypothesis. We found that Cerrado lizards prey heavily on termites. Several species had >40% of their diet consisting of termites, some species reached up to 80%. However, lizards prey on termites independently of their diversity in the environment and do not show niche segregation in relation to termite resource. Hence, our results in the Cerrado do not support the hypothesis that termite diversity can promote lizard diversity. The diets of Cerrado lizards have a high proportion of termites; however, the diets of desert lizards from the Australian and the Kalahari deserts have a much higher proportion of termites when compared with those from the Cerrado and the Amazon. Differences in termite consumption by lizards across ecosystems do not seem to be related to local termite diversity. We hypothesize that overall prey availability can explain this pattern. Several arthropod groups are abundant in the Cerrado and the Amazon. In deserts, other prey types may be less abundant; therefore, termites may be the best available resource.

Termiticidal Performance of Wood-Based Composites Treated with Silafluofen Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Summary The termiticidal performance of wood-based composites [medium density fiberboard (MDF), hardwood plywood, softwood plywood, particleboard and oriented strand board (OSB)] was evaluated following treatment with a non-ester pyrethroid, silafluofen, using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) as a carrier solvent. Treatment was conducted under nine combinations of temperature (35°C, 45°C or 55°C) and pressure [7.85 MPa (80 kgf/cm2), 9.81 MPa (100 kgf/cm2) or 11.77 MPa (120 kgf/cm2)]. Treated and untreated samples were individually exposed to the subterranean termite Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki in the laboratory, and the percent mass loss of the samples and termite mortality were determined to compare the termiticidal performance among the wood-based composites and treatment conditions. Silafluofen/SC-CO2 treatment significantly improved the termite resistance of all of the wood-based composites, although the termiticidal performance varied with the composite type and treatment conditions. The best performance for MDF, hardwood plywood, softwood plywood and particleboard was obtained at 35°C-7.85 MPa in terms of the inhibition of feeding, and gave high termite mortality and energy-conservation, whereas the best performance for OSB was at 35°C and 9.81 MPa or 11.77 MPa.

Effects of Nootkatone and a Borate Compound on Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) and Its Symbiont Protozoa

Wood treated with disodium octaborate tetrahydrate, with nootkatone, a natural extract isolated from vetiver oil, or with both nootkatone and disodium octaborate tetrahydrate was tested for effects on Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and its hindgut flagellates. Results demonstrated that after 7 d disodium octaborate tetrahydrate-treated wood induced high termite mortality and almost complete loss of flagellates, confirming the toxicity of borates to these termites. Wood treated with nootkatone alone or with the nootkatone-borate mix was consumed in significantly lower amounts than the control, and termite survival was comparable to results obtained for starved termites. A significant progressive reduction in the total number of protozoa was observed for all groups, including the controls. We conclude that nootkatone acts as a feeding deterrent, inducing starvation that results in almost a complete loss of Pseudotrichonympha grassii Koidzumi, the most important flagellate species for cellulose digestion in this termite.