Evaluation of Treatment Success and Patterns of Reinfestation of the Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Abstract

Spread of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes fornwsanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), is connected with the transport of infested wood, in particular, railroad ties. Therefore, efficient treatment of infestations, especially along railroads, is imperative to prevent further termite damage and spread. Evaluation of treatment success hinges on the ability to assign infestation sites to colonies and compare colony identity before and after treatment. Because colonies of the Formosan subterranean termite can be headed by a pair of reproductives (simple families) or by multiple reproductives (extended families), the question arises whether the breeding system of a colony influences treatment success and whether treatment of an area might have an impact on the breeding system. We used microsatellite genotyping to compare colony affiliation and breeding systems of Formosan termites infesting the Riverfront Railroad, New Orleans, LA, before and after treatment with 0.5% noviflumuron. Before treatment, four colonies were simple families, and 11 colonies were extended families. A year after treatment began, all treated colonies had vanished and did not reappear during this study. One colony from an untreated monitoring station moved into a nearby station after treatment. Colonies that were detected after treatment consisted of 12 simple families and six extended families; extended families found after treatment contained a higher number of reproductive neotenics than the extended families found before treatment. Extended families were more likely than simple families to move into inground stations that had been previously occupied by termite colonies.

Molecular Genetic Evidence of Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Colony Survivorship After Prolonged Inundation

“…The breeding system of a colony does not seem to have an impact on a colonyÕs survival during an inundation event. A similar lack of association between breeding structure and survivorship was noted by Husseneder et al (2007) after treatment. If extended family colonies exhibited a higher probability of surviving inundation because of multiple reproducing pairs residing in satellite nests, there would have been a decrease in the percentage of simple family colonies observed at the research sites after ßooding.…”

Genetic Analysis of Population Structure and Reproductive Mode of the Termite Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder

“…Moreover, small percentages of mixed family colonies were also detected for R. flavipes [13], [39] and R. grassei [41]. Proportions of termite colonies with different breeding systems vary across populations and depend on age structure of the colonies, dynamics of colony-colony interactions, food quantity and quality, soil characteristics and disturbance or treatment [4], [14], [20], [21], [42]. There were plenty of 20–30 years old pine trees and camphor trees in the parks and hills of sample collection in Huanggang, Changsha and Chongqing, suggesting that the R. chinensis colonies had enough time and food to grow and develop into extended families headed by neotenics [35].…”

“…P values were obtained by permutations of the multilocus genotypes between each pair of samples and standard Bonferroni corrections were used. If samples significantly differed from each other, they were assigned to different colonies [11], [14].…”

Elimination of Subterranean Termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Colonies Using a Refined Cellulose Bait Matrix Containing Noviflumuron When Monitored and Replenished Quarterly

“…Regardless of dye characterization, colonies of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and all Reticulitermes spp. were characterized by genetic structure using microsatellite markers (Vargo 2003a,b;Husseneder et al 2007). Ten termites were genotyped at each of several microsatellite loci.…”

“…Smith et al (2002) reported on the elimination of 53 colonies with hexaßumuron and 74 colonies with novißumuron and concluded that the number of days required for colony elimination with novißumuron was about half that with hexaßumuron. Other studies have demonstrated elimination of subterranean termites with novißumu-ron bait (Getty et al 2007, Husseneder et al 2007, Austin et al 2008.…”