COMPARISON OF TUNNELING RESPONSES INTO INSECTICIDE-TREATED SOIL BY FIELD POPULATIONS AND LABORATORY GROUPS OF SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES (ISOPTERA, RHINOTERMITIDAE)

Tunneling responses of laboratory groups and field populations of subt erranean termites into soil treated with 1 of the 3 insecticides, chlo rpyrifos, cypermethrin, or permethrin, were compared to validate labor atory evaluation techniques. Because of the diverse response exhibited by field populations, no statistical difference (P > 0.05) was detect ed between laboratory and field data for both the Formosan subterranea n termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, and the eastern subterranea n termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar). The results indicated tha t the overall tunneling behavior exhibited by field populations into i nsecticide-treated soil is essentially the same as that of laboratory groups of 80 foragers. But in some instances, the threshold concentrat ions (the lowest concentration to stop termite penetration totally) re corded from field populations were higher than those observed from lab oratory groups.