Influence of guidelines and passageways on tunneling behavior of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) and R. virginicus (Banks) (Isoptera : Rhinotermitidae)

Tunneling behavior of laboratory-maintained cultures of Reticulitermes flav ipes (Kollar) and R, virginicus (Banks) was examined to determine (1) if th e termites build tunnels along preexisting wives or tunnels, and (2) whethe r tunnels are arranged to optimize search efficiency. Tunnel patterns were considered optimal if for the number of tunnels present, the maximum area w as explored Termites entered either control arenas or arenas in which they encountered a wire or a pre-formed tunnel. Analyses revealed that R. flavip es and R. virginicus almost always follow pre-formed tunnels, but do not fo llow wires as readily. Within each species, the distributions of tunnels in treatment arenas were different from distributions in control arenas, most often when pre-formed tunnels Mere the treatment. Optimal tunnel arrangeme nts in control arenas were found in 62% of R. flavipes patterns with 2 tunn els and in 43% of a. virginicus patterns with 2 tunnels. None of the 3-tunn el patterns from control arenas of R. flavipes and 29% of those of R. virgi nicus had optimal arrangements. Overall, the spatial arrangement of tunnels in control arenas was significantly different between R. flavipes and R. v irginicus.