Nutritional ecology of the formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera : Rhinotermitidae): Feeding response to commercial wood species

The feeding preferences of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermus f ormsanus Shiraki, were tested in three separate experiments on 28 different wood species. Experiment 1 was multiple-choice test designed to test relat ive preferences among 24 wood species commercially available in New Orleans , LA. Experiment 2 was a similar study designed to test relative preference s among 21 wood species shown or reported to be unpalatable to the Formosan subterranean termite. Experiment 3 was a no-choice test to examine the fee ding deterrence of the 10 leat preferred wood species. Preference was deter mined by consumption rates. Birch (Betula alleganiensis Britton), red gum ( Liquidambar styraciflua L.), Parana pine [Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.)], sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), pecan (Carya illinoensis Wangeh.), and northern red oak. all of these species were significantly more preferred t han southern yellow pine (Pinus taeda L.), widely used for monitoring. Sink er cypress [ = old growth bald cypress, Taxodium distichum (L.)], western r ed cedar (Thuja plicata Donn), Alaskan yellow cedar (Chamaecyparis nootkate nsis D. Don), eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana L.), sassafras [Sassa fras albidum (Nutt.)]. Spanish cedar (Cedrella odorata L.), Honduras mahoga ny [Swietenia macrophyla King), Indian rosewood (Dalbergia latifolia Roxb), Honduras rosewood (D. stevensonii Sytanl.), and morado (Machaerium sp.) in duced significant feeding deterrence and mortality to C. formosanus. The la st eight species produced 100% mortality after 3 mo.