Groups of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, were fed for 14 days on wood shavings soaked in acetone solutions of one of three concentrations (0, 0.5, or 1%) of the dye, Sudan Red 7B. Groups of marked or unmarked termites were then placed in containers and allowed to feed on undyed wood for 21 days. Dyed termites had lower wood feeding rate, survivorship, and number of symbiotic protozoans than did undyed termites. Survivorship was significantly lower in the 1% concentration than in the 0.5% concentration. Although Sudan Red is a satisfactory marker in field studies, under our laboratory conditions it had harmful effects on Coptotermes formosanus.

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