Feeding termites

Breznak J. A. (2000) Ecology of prokaryotic microbes in the guts of wood- and litter-feeding termites. In... 

Hethener P, Brauman A, Garcia JL (1992) Clostridium termitidis sp. nov., a cellulolytic bacterium from the gut of the wood-feeding termite, Nasutitermes lujae. Syst Appl Microbiol 15 52-58 Huber R, Woese CR, Langworthy TA, Kristjansson JK, Stetter KO (1990) Fervidobacterium islandicum sp. nov., a new extremely thermophilic eubacterium belonging to the Thermotogales . Arch Microbiol 154 105-111... 

Termites are living in rigid societies in which morphologically specialized individuals execute specific tasks king and queen reproduce, the workers forage and feed. Finally, soldiers of many termite species are morphologically and physiologically specialized for defense [182]. 

Imamura etal. (1986) exposed particleboard made from acetylated wood to the termite species Coptotermes formosanus and Reticulitermes speratus. A forced feeding test according to the JWPA standard 11-1981, where the untreated or acetylated wood was the only food source, and a choice feeding test (where wood specimens were randomly placed on a termite breeding colony for 30 days) were used. With C. formosanus, there was limited attack of the fully acetylated boards, with about 50 % termite mortality after 3 weeks in forced feeding tests, whereas with R. sparatus there was virtually no attack and 100% mortality. 

Doi, S., Kurimoto, Y., Takahashi, M. and Yoshimura, T. (1997). Effects of steaming heat treatment on the stimulation of termite feeding. International Research Group on Wood Preservation, Doc. No. IRGAVP 97-10212. 

Tholen A, Brune A. 1999. Localization and in situ activities of homoacetogenic bacteria in the highly compartmentalized hindgut of soil-feeding higher termites (Cubitermes spp.). Appl Environ Microbiol 65 4497-505. 

Texas blind salamander Typhlomolge rathbuni, a subterranean species, lives in a few caves and wells in the area of San Marcos, Texas. Males and females are attracted by water conditioned by the opposite sex (Bechler, 1986). Males of the salamander Pktftodon cinereus actually signal their diet quality to the females. Males may feed on termites or ants. Termites provide the better diet because they are rich in lipids, energy, and vitamin B components, and lack the hard cuticle of ants. Female salamanders spend more time near fecal pellets from a male on a termite diet than one that feeds on ants. Also, in a forest, more males with termites in their diet were found associated with females than were males on an ant diet (Walls etah, 1989). 

The blind snake Leptotyphlops dulcis is a specialized burrower that feeds on termites and ant brood. It follows the ant pheromone trails to find its prey (Section 12.1). when attacked by ants, this snake tilts its scales individually so that the skin appears silvery. While it writhes, it covers itself with feces and a clear viscous fluid, discharged from the anus. It may also assume a stationary coiled position. when it resumes searching and feeding, it is no longer attacked by ants. The effect lasts from 3 to 30 minutes (Gehlbach etal., 1968). Here a predatory species protects itself from the defensive actions of its prey. 

Blind snakes find their prey by using the prey s pheromones. The wormlike Texas blind snake, Leptotyphlops dulcis, of the southwestern United States leads a subterranean life and feeds on termites and ant brood. It finds ants by following their pheromone trails (Gehlbach etal, 1968). Other blind snakes such as the American blindsnake, Typhlops pusillus (Gehlbach et al, 1971), and the Australian blindsnake, Ramphotyphlops nigrescens (Webb and Shine, 1992), also follow odor trails of ants, their prey. Texas blind snakes are attracted to the simple alkaloid skatole (methyl indole Fig. 12.4), an amine with an unpleasant odor from the ant Neivamyrmex sp. (Watkins etal, 1969). 

Amelung, W., Martius, C., Bandeira, A. G., Garcia, M. V. B., and Zech,W. (2002). Lignin characteristics and density fractions of termite nests in an Amazonian rain forest—indicators of termite feeding guilds Soil Biol. Biochem. 34, 367-372. 

Table 1 Mortality of Worker Termites During Forced-Feeding Test on Acetylated Spruce Blocks with 20% Weight Gain...

Table 6 Weight Lx)ss (WL) of Formalized Cedar and Beech Blocks Due to Termite Attack After Forced-Feeding Tests with Coptotermes formosams for 9 Weeks and with Reticulitermes speratus for 2 or 4 Weeks...

The molecular weight of PF resin affected termite resistance less clearly than decay resistance, but resins with up to 621 Mn gave better termite resistance than larger molecular weight resins. Although total elimination of termite attack was not achieved by any PF resin treatment, activities of termites fed on the treated wood declined at a greater rate than that of starved termites. At 10% of WPG, all treated blocks caused a 100% mortality of termites after 6 or 7 weeks feeding. 

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