Assigning individual alates of the formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) to their colonies of origin within the context of an area-wide management program

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-24-2009

Abstract

An estimated $ 1 billion is spent each year in the United States for Formosan subterranean termite control and structural repair. In 1998, Operation Full Stop was established as part of the National Formosan subterranean termite program, with the aim of demonstrating the benefits of area-wide termite management in the French Quarter, New Orleans. The program consists of USDA sponsored treatment in conjunction with extensive monitoring of termite activity in untreated inground monitoring stations and alate numbers during each swarming season to assess management success. In 2003, inground stations were still infested, and at the same time, alate numbers had plateaued after an initial decline. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that colonies foraging in untreated inground stations contributed to sustained alate activity. "We used microsatellite genotyping to determine the numbers and breedingstructures of colonies foragingin untreated monitoringstations during the swarming season of June 2003. We tested to what extent alates captured in light traps during a single night of mass swarming originated from these colonies. Each inground station contained a single, genetically distinct colony. Eighty-three percent of the 23 total colonies had extended family breeding structures, indicating they were mature enough to produce alates. Only 4% of alates originated from untreated monitoringstations, while the remaining 96% originated from undetected colonies, possibly outside of the program area or in above-ground structures and/ or trees. Thus, management strategies should focus on expanding the program area and inspections to further increase detection and elimination of colonies in structures and trees.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Sociobiology

First Page

631

Last Page

650

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