Cues Used by Subterranean Termites During Foraging and Food Assessment

Judd, Timothy M.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-72110-1_8

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 88 publications

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“…These components also function as thermoregulators in termite nests: fungi absorb excess moisture released when air humidity decreases and emit heat during growth. Abundant galleries on cocoa indicated high colony activity, and they use galleries for transporting food sources to the nests [24]. We also found that the galleries are helpful for the termites to distribute their member to the neighboring cocoa plants.…”

Section: Description and Distribution Of The Termite Macrotermes Gilvusmentioning

confidence: 63%

Investigation of termite attack, Macrotermes gilvus Hagen (Termitidae: Blattodea), to cocoa (Theobroma cacao)

Anjelia,

Rizki,

Jauharlina

et al. 2024

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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Macrotermes gilvus is a major pest in the cocoa cultivation industry in Indonesia, with huge productivity. The success of a termite control technology is largely determined by the availability of information about the biology of termites which are pests. Investigating M. gilvus attacks was surveyed on polyculture cocoa plantations in Pidie, Aceh Tamiang, and Southeast Aceh Districts, Aceh Province. We found various levels of termite attacks characterized by mounds (nests) and galleries on the cocoa. The presence of nests and galleries damages the pith tissue and creates empty spaces, which are later filled with soil. Lack of land sanitation can trigger termite attacks on the plantations.

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Section: Description and Distribution Of The Termite Macrotermes Gilvusmentioning

confidence: 63%

Investigation of termite attack, Macrotermes gilvus Hagen (Termitidae: Blattodea), to cocoa (Theobroma cacao)

Anjelia,

Rizki,

Jauharlina

et al. 2024

IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci.

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“…Even though it may have some toxins and repellant effects, the Wood of pine is the most preferred food item for Reticulitermes and Coptotermes species (Castillo et al, 2013). This is due to the fact that wood composition does not remain constant, some components may be lost due to leaching and drying and making the wood still suitable for some termite species (Judd, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food Preference and Survival Rates of Allodontermes tenax (Isoptera: Termitidea)

Jacob

Millicent

Elizabeth

2022

Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences. A, Entomology

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The main goal of this research was to determine food preference and survival rates of Allodontermes tenax. Traditionally, A.tenax has been induced to swarm during the dry season. In order to determine the best substrate for mass production, it was necessary to find a suitable food substance that enhanced the survival of the termites in the laboratory and hence can be applied in situ. The study was carried out in Trans-Nzoia at an altitude of 1,900 meters, with a latitude of 1°1'8.72"N, and a longitude of 35°0'8.3"E. The main activity in the area is crop farming and livestock husbandry. Termite workers were collected when swarming and placed in 500grams collection jars and taken to the laboratory. Some of the alates and a number of small or large soldiers and workers were preserved in 80% ethanol for identification. The experiments involved testing food preference and survival rates on maize cob husks on loam soil; maize stalk on loam soil; eucalyptus wood on loam soil; wheat straw on loam soil; pinewood on loam soil and loam soil alone as a substrate. The loam soil was put in an incinerator for 24hours to remove any organic matter present in the soil for all the treatments. The insect used in these experiments were workers of at least the third instar since earlier experiments have shown that workers below the third instar have a low survival rate under the same laboratory conditions. Two experiments were performed to determine food preference and survival rates. For each experiment, 15 rearing containers measuring 18x15x7 cm were used. After 2, 4 and 6 weeks, the samples were removed from the rearing chamber and the surviving termites were counted. The number of surviving termite workers found from each treatment was used to calculate the survival rate. The treatment with the highest survival rate was deemed the most preferred food and hence enhanced survival. The rate of survival was highest in wheat straw and loam with a grand average of 82.26% followed by maize stalk and loam with 63.82%. Apart from the control experiment, the lowest survival rates were observed in a pinewood at 47.72%. This shows that wheat straw enhanced the survival of A. tenax and hence the most preferred food item.

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“…Many previous studies have focused on the termite attractants that may increase bait consumption (as reviewed by Lax et al [18] and Judd [19]). For example, Chen and Henderson [20] found that C. formosanus consumed significantly more filter paper treated with the solution of certain amino acid additives (i.e., d-aspartic acid, l-glutamic acid, and l-aspartic acid) than the control paper.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Super Absorbent Polymers Buried within Dry Soil Attract Formosan Subterranean Termites (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae)

Xie

Jin

Lin³

et al. 2019

Forests

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Baiting is one of the main methods to control subterranean termites. Many previous studies showed that subterranean termites avoid making tunnels within dry soil and feeding on dry wood, which may decrease bait infestation and consumption in drought areas. Super absorbent polymers are a group of materials that can retain large amounts of water and improve the moisture content of soil and bait matrices, and therefore may attract termites. In the present study, choice tests were conducted in the laboratory to investigate the aggregation and feeding behaviors of Formosan subterranean termites, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, in response to the three super absorbent polymers-sodium polyacrylate (Na-PAM), potassium polyacrylate (K-PAM), and poly(acrylamide-co-acrylic acid) potassium salt (P(AM/AA))-that were either placed within soil or filled in the void volume of baiting containers. Under dry-soil (30%-moisture) conditions, termites consumed significantly more wood in the chambers where super absorbent polymers were buried than in the control chambers (super absorbent polymer was not placed within soil). In addition, Na-PAM placed within dry soil significantly increased termite aggregation compared with the control chambers. However, no aggregation or feeding preference was detected when super absorbent polymers were placed within wet soil (60%-moisture). Also, filling super absorbent polymers into the void volume of baiting containers did not attract termites, whether the soil was dry or wet. Our study showed that placing super absorbent polymers within soil around bait stations may increase bait consumption by subterranean termites in drought locations.

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Cues Used by Subterranean Termites During Foraging and Food Assessment

Cited by 6 publications

References 88 publications

Investigation of termite attack, Macrotermes gilvus Hagen (Termitidae: Blattodea), to cocoa (Theobroma cacao)

Investigation of termite attack, Macrotermes gilvus Hagen (Termitidae: Blattodea), to cocoa (Theobroma cacao)

Food Preference and Survival Rates of Allodontermes tenax (Isoptera: Termitidea)

Super Absorbent Polymers Buried within Dry Soil Attract Formosan Subterranean Termites (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae)

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