Factors affecting the response of Reticulitermes flavipes (kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) to disturbance in laboratory arenas.

摘要

Reticulitermes flavipes is an economically important urban pest, known to cause structural damage to buildings. Typically, groups of R. flavipes abandon a feeding site when disturbed. This could have implications on the efficiency of treatment tactics such as baiting, where active feeding sites are momentarily disturbed when bait toxicants are added to bait stations. The objective of this study was to examine the behavior of a termite colony after disturbance, addressing the influence of factors such as ambient temperature, soldier proportion, colony density, presence of food, and presence of nest mates on disturbance dynamics.; Although not statistically significant, trends from this study suggest that temperature may influence a termite colony's ability to respond to disturbance. Evacuation and return rates were influenced by soldier proportion and colony density. It is likely that density limits termites' ability to evacuate due to the physical nest structure, but the relay of alarm pheromones and/or other signals may also change as termite density increases, thus altering the evacuation response. Furthermore, our study suggests that when termites are disturbed, they are most likely to remain in areas where food sources are present. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)