ENHANCING FORAGING OF WESTERN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES (ISOPTERA, RHINOTERMITIDAE) IN ARID ENVIRONMENTS

Foraging activity of the western subterranean termite, Reticulitermes hesperus Banks, is dramatically affected by temperature resulting in p redictable seasonal patterns of feeding. Typically <20% of potential f ood sources placed in field sites were located by foragers. To increas e the likelihood that wood stakes would be located by workers, fungal extracts of the brown-rot fungus, Gloeophyllum trabeum (Pers. ex Fr.) were applied to sand and workers tested in choice tunneling tests. Wor kers tunneled into sand treated with fungal extracts. In addition, wor kers oriented up concentration gradients of fungal extract in sand. Su rfactants such as Tween 80, Tergitol and Trition X-100 increased the s olubility of the fungal extract allowing it to disperse deeper into th e sand. Ultimately, the fungal extract plume in the soil may serve as a guideline for workers to locate monitoring or bait stations around s tructures.