Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #256615
Title: Effect of a Nutritional Metabolism Disrupter on the Development of Incipient Colonies of the Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera:Rhinotermitidae)

Author
item Wiltz, Beverly
item HENDERSON, GREGG - LSU Agcenter
item FEI, HUIXIN - LSU Agcenter
item WREN, HEATHER - LSU Agcenter

Submitted to: Sociobiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/25/2001
Publication Date: 6/14/2001
Citation: Wiltz, B.A., Henderson, G., Fei, H. Effect of a Nutritional Metabolism Disrupter on the Development of Incipient Colonies of the Formosan Subterranean Termite (Isoptera:Rhinotermitidae). Sociobiology 37(3):699-706. 2001.

Interpretive Summary: The successful establishment of new colonies plays a key role in the population size and foraging area of the Formosan subterranean termite. Nutritional demands are particularly high during colony founding. One of the most important nutritional limitations for wood feeding insects is a relative lack of dietary nitrogen. We evaluated the effect of baits containing a nutritional metabolism disrupter (NMD) on newly-founded lab colonies. This compound causes a shutdown of nitrogen recycling in insects, resulting in death when uric acid reserves are depleted. Colonies fed treated baits produced significantly fewer eggs and larvae and had greater colony mortality than colonies fed untreated baits.

Technical Abstract: Incipient colonies ofthe Formosan subtelTanean termite were ionued by pairing reproductives in plastic dishes conlaining either untreated bait or bait treated with a composition of oxypurinol and xanthine. This composition, termed a nutritional metabolism disrupter (NMD), causes a shutdown of nitrogen recycling in insects, resulting in death when uric acid reserves are depleted (Wren 1996). Colonies fed NMD-treated baits produced significantly fewer eggs than control colonies at 40, 60, 80, and 100 days after alates were paired. While the number of larvae in control colonies doubled between 60 and 100 days the size of NMD colonies remained unchanged. After 80 and 100 days, mortality of NMD colonies was significantly greater than that of control colonies. Although NMD colonies had consumed more food after 100 days. The biomass per colony was less than that of the controls. We concluded that NMD bait significantly affected Formosan subterranean termite colony development.