Feeding Responses to Sound Wood by Coptotermes formosanus, Reticulitermes flavipes, and R. virginicus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Smythe, Richard V.; Carter, Fairie Lyn

doi:10.1093/aesa/63.3.841

Cited by 49 publications

(20 citation statements)

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“…Our results support those of Smythe & Carter (1970), who showed a trend for feeding and survival with these species in the order C. formosanus > R. flavipes > R. virginicus; since the termites in our assay displayed reproducible trends, the experimental conditions were suitable for examining excavation behavior.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 90%

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Wood excavations of three species of subterranean termites

Delaplane

Fage

1990

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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We compared the feeding excavations on wood blocks of three species of subterranean termites, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), and R. virginicus (Banks). Feeding rate followed the order C. formosanus > R. flavipes > R. virginicus. Wood surface area (mm2) exposed per unit feeding was higher for C. formosanus and R. flavipes than for R. virginicus. This was caused by the tendency of C. formosanus and R. flavipes to make internally penetrating tunnels, thereby increasing surface area, whereas R. virginicus made trough‐ and bowl‐like depressions on the outside of blocks, sometimes decreasing the size of blocks outwardly without a corresponding high increase in surface area typical with the tunnels of the other species. Consequently, wood surface area was sometimes reduced, rather than increased as a result of feeding by R. virginicus. Different patterns of wood excavation suggest that these termites have divergent roles in wood decay processes. Résumé Les trous dans le bois dus à 3 espèces de termites souterrains Les organismes pionniers qui modifient le bois et le rendent acceptable par les insectes qui le perforent sont généralement des champignons du bois pourri. Cependant, une fois que les termites ou autres insectes perforant le bois ont pénétré, leurs galeries favorisent les bactéries fixatrices d'azote, permettent l'invasion d'autres organismes décomposeurs, et de ce fait régularisent la décomposition du bois (Ausmus, 1977). L'exposition de la surface à l'intérieur des perforations jouant un rôle très important dans le processus de pourrissement, il est souhaitable de pouvoir quantifier la surface des galeries dues à l'alimentation des termites. Une courbe type permettant de prédire l'aire de la surface perforée a été construite en perçant 109 morceaux de bois de trous cylindriques de différents diamètres, en calculant l'aire de la surface des morceaux de bois, en appliquant et pesant une couche de vernis pour bois au polyuréthane, et en divisant la masse de polyuréthane par l'aire de la surface. Le modèle prédictif qui en découle est: Y = 0,01443 x – 3,51825 (P = 0,0001; r = 0,68), y étant la masse de polyuréthane (en g) et x la surface (en mm2) du morceau de bois. En traitant de la même façon au polyuréthane les morceaux de bois perforés par les termites, nous pourrions déduire leur surface. Une expérience a été effectuée avec 3 espèces de rhinotermitides,‐ Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) et R. virginicus (Banks). Des groupes de chaque espèce se sont alimentés pendant 11 ou 12 jours sur des morceaux de bois non contaminés par des champignons. Nous avons déterminé la survie, la consommation, la modification de la surface du morceau de bois (par utilisation du modèle prédictif) et le changement de surface par termite. La survie est la même, mais la consommation est dans l'ordre suivant: C. formosanus > R. flavipes > R. virginicus. L'aire de la surface exposée par unité d'alimentation était plus élevée pour C. formosanus et R. flavipes q...

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Cured, construction-grade southern pine (Pinus sp.) wood was a suitable substrate for this experiment because it is a preferred food of these termite species in laboratory tests (Smythe & Carter, 1970), and all three species invade such wood in structures in Mississippi and Louisiana.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wood excavations of three species of subterranean termites

Delaplane

Fage

1990

Entomologia Exp Applicata

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“…Smythe and Carter78 reported that Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) consumed significantly lower quantities of redwood ( Sequoia sempervirens (Mierb) Endl) or bald cypress ( Taxodium distichum (L) Rich) than nine other wood species. The preference for some woods change when termites are presented with choices 25, 79, 80. Hardness and specific gravity of hardwood species are inversely correlated to preference by R flavipes .…”

Section: Current Strategies For Control Of the Formosan Subterraneamentioning

confidence: 99%

United States Department of Agriculture—Agriculture Research Service research on targeted management of the Formosan subterranean termite Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Lax

Osbrink

2003

Pest Management Science

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The Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki is currently one of the most destructive pests in the USA. It is estimated to cost consumers over US dollars 1 billion annually for preventative and remedial treatment and to repair damage caused by this insect. The mission of the Formosan Subterranean Termite Research Unit of the Agricultural Research Service is to demonstrate the most effective existing termite management technologies, integrate them into effective management systems, and provide fundamental problem-solving research for long-term, safe, effective and environmentally friendly new technologies. This article describes the epidemiology of the pest and highlights the research accomplished by the Agricultural Research Service on area-wide management of the termite and fundamental research on its biology that might provide the basis for future management technologies. Fundamental areas that are receiving attention are termite detection, termite colony development, nutrition and foraging, and the search for biological control agents. Other fertile areas include understanding termite symbionts that may provide an additional target for control. Area-wide management of the termite by using population suppression rather than protection of individual structures has been successful; however, much remains to be done to provide long-term sustainable population control. An educational component of the program has provided reliable information to homeowners and pest-control operators that should help slow the spread of this organism and allow rapid intervention in those areas which it infests.

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“…The extractive content of the heartwood varies with the physiological age of wood in the tree as well as its growth site. Variations also occur in the response of different termites to the extractive content (Gay et al 1955;Becker 1969;Smythe and Carter 1970;Carter and de Camargo 1983). Variations also occur in the response of different termites to the extractive content (Gay et al 1955;Becker 1969;Smythe and Carter 1970;Carter and de Camargo 1983).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%