Marine Wood Boring Arthropods: Ecology, Functional Anatomy, and Control Measures

摘要

Wood boring arthropods cause damage of major economic significance to coastal structures. The curculionid Pselactus is restricted to the upper intertidal in decayed wood. Limnoriids occur in full salinity subpolar to tropical waters, from the intertidal zone to over 1000m. Sphaeromatid borers are euryhaline temperature and tropical, intertidal species. These isopods have low fecundity, iteroparity and extended parental care, and thus compete effectively once established in a substrate. They migrate to new substrata as young adults. Limnoriids usually lack a resident microbial flora, but ingest wood particles containing wood-degrading microorganisms. Cellulose is degraded during gut passage, but the source and functioning of a full suite of lignocellulose degrading enzymes remains to be demonstrated. Sphaeromatids may not ingest wood. Neither creosote nor CCA treatments provide complete protection from these organisms. Protocols for evaluating anti-borer measures that take account of migratory and substrate seeking behaviour are needed.