关键词: 黄胸散白蚁, 木腐菌, 食物偏好

Abstract:

Objective To determine the feeding preferences of the workers of Reticulitermes flaviceps for the Pinus massoniana wood flour treated with Auricularia auricularis (Gray), Gloeophyllum trabeum (Pers.), Ganoderma lucidum (Curtis), and Poria cocos (Schwein.) and to provide a scientific proof for developing new termite control bait. Methods The P. massoniana wood flour treated with different wood-rotting fungi and untreated wood flour were placed in PVC cylinders which were connected with glass pipes. The workers of R. flaviceps were allowed to visit different cylinders and feed on the wood flour ad libitum. The number of workers in each cylinder and the amount of wood flour consumed by them were determined. Results The P. massoniana wood flour treated with various wood-rotting fungi had different attractiveness to the workers of R. flaviceps. The wood flour treated with G. trabeum attracted the most workers (86.4±8.7), followed by that treated with A. auricularis (48.8±1.9), P. cocos (33.2±3.6), and G. lucidum (21.8±3.9); the numbers of workers attracted by the wood flour treated with these wood-rotting fungi were 8.8, 5.0, 3.4, and 2.2 times, respectively, as compared with those of workers attracted by untreated wood flour. However, among all treated wood flour, only that treated with G. trabeum, A. auricularis, and P. cocos were significantly preferred by the workers of R. flaviceps, and the consumptions of the wood flour treated with G. trabeum, A. auricularis, and P. cocos were 5.0, 3.1, and 2.3 times, respectively, as those of untreated wood flour. Conclusion The workers of R. flaviceps show significant preference for the P. massoniana wood flour treated with G. trabeum, A. auricularis, and P. cocos. It is recommended to use these wood-rotting fungi to treat bait material when developing new termite control bait in the future, so as to improve the control effect on R. flaviceps.

Key words: Reticulitermes flaviceps, Wood-rotting fungus, Food preference