Ecological, behavioral, and toxicological studies with termites are frequently difficult to conduct under field conditions because their cryptic lifestyle. It is important to know the factors that can limit survival to ensure that laboratory studies will reflect the natural survival of these insects. Here, we tested the effect of a food resource and carton nest material on group survival of Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky, 1855) (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae) in the laboratory. In general, termites survived longer in treatments with a food resource (sugarcane baits) compared to groups with carton nest material and control. However, groups with food resources exhibited high mortality due to fungal infection. The result of this study may contribute to the establishment of bioassay protocols performed with N. corniger in the laboratory.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.