Laboratory and Field evaluation on Natural Resistance and Feeding Preference of Different Wood Species to Subterranean Termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae, Termitidae) in Pakistan

IRG/WP 12-10769

S A Malik; F Manzoor, B M Ahmed (Shiday)

The resistance of twenty four different woods to attack and damage by subterranean termite species Heterotermes indicola (Wasmann) and Coptotermes heimi (Wasmann) was evaluated by choice and no choic in laboratory and field trials. Mean wood mass loss was calculated for both laboratory and field trials results using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Mean percentage termite mortality was calculated for laboratory trials only. Results revealed that mean percentage mortality and feeding varied with different wood species. The loss in weight served as a measure of termite attack. Each wooden block was also graded by the amount of termite damage using American Wood Preservation Association (AWPA) scale 1997. Two weeks of no choice laboratory trials against H. indicola and C. heimi for all types of wooden blocks oven dried at 100°C) were used in setting the feeding preference for each species to arrange the 24 woods in descending order. Impact of temperature exhibited as directly proportional to the increased wood consumption. Choice feeding tests in laboratory and field for both test termite species exposed that both species Populus deltoides was most preferred and Dalbergia sissoo was the least preferred wood. Smilarly, same wood preference was observed for no choice field test against H. indicola. The no choice field test against C. heimi result indicated D. sissoo was least palatable and Mangifera indica was most palatable wood.


Keywords: resistance, termites, Heterotermes indicola, wood, C. heimi, preference, wood mass loss, field test, laboratory test, choice and no-choice test, wood species

Conference: 12-05-06/10 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


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