title: Interaction between the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) and the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae in foraging arenas.
abstract: The entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorokin was tested in the laboratory against field-collected groups of eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), in foraging arenas to determine the potential effect of a "trap and treat" protocol (trapping a part of the population, treating it with a biological control agent and releasing it back into the original population). Individual termites were treated with a suspension of M. anisopliae conidia and released back into the arenas containing untreated termites. After 5 d, 90% of the treated termites died in the arena, but untreated termites did not exhibit a significant increase in mortality within 90 d after release, indicating no transfer of viable M. anisopliae and no epizootic. Although M. anisopliae was isolated from the arenas after 90 d, the average number of fungal colony-forming units recovered was <0.1% of the conidia introduced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 3205 College Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA. tomchouv@ufl.edu
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chouvenc
authors.forename: Nan-Yao
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Monica L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Elliott
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D017753:Ecosystem; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005431:Florida; D006120:Grooming; D020049:Isoptera / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology*; D052981:Metarhizium / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014934:Wood / Q000469:parasitology