Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-x5gtn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-10T13:38:42.150Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Foraging, nesting and damage caused by Microtermes subhyalinus (Isoptera: Termitidae) in a sugarcane plantation in the Central African Republic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

P. Mora ,
C. Rouland  and
J. Renoux
P. Mora*
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Ecophysiologie des Invertébrés, Université Paris XII Val de Marne, Créteil, France
C. Rouland
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Ecophysiologie des Invertébrés, Université Paris XII Val de Marne, Créteil, France
J. Renoux
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Ecophysiologie des Invertébrés, Université Paris XII Val de Marne, Créteil, France
*
Correspondence: P. Mora, Laboratoire d'Ecophysiologie des Invertébrés, Université Paris XII Val de Marne, Avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010 Créteil cedex, France.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The ecology of Microtermes subhyalinus Silvestri in savanna and an adjoining sugarcane plantation in the Central African Republic is described. Other species of termites were associated with savanna and sugarcane but M. subhyalinus was the most prevalent and the only one causing damage to sugarcane. Damage to the crop by M. subhyalinus was assessed throughout the year. Termite attacks were confined initially to the root system just after cutting but as the cane matured and growth ceased, termites tunnelled up into the above-ground stems. Losses accounted for 5–10% of total annual production. The nesting and foraging behaviour of this species altered with the change from natural savanna to sugarcane cultivation. The vertical distribution of M. subhyalinus fungus combs in soil under savanna and sugarcane over different seasons was analysed. There was a linear relationship between monthly rainfall and foraging activity in savanna while in sugarcane no relationship was observed.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 86 , Issue 4 , August 1996 , pp. 387 - 395
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abushama, F.T. & Kambal, M.A. (1977) Fields observations on the attack of sugarcane by the termite Microtermes tragardhi (Sjöstedt). Zeitschrift für Angewandte Entomologie 82, 355–359.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Adamson, A.M. (1943) Termites and the fertility of soils. Tropical Agriculture 20, 107–112.Google Scholar
Agarwala, S.B.D. (1955) Control of sugar cane termites. Journal of Economic Entomology 48, 533–537.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baksha, M.W. (1990) Some major forest insect pests of Bangladesh and their control. Bulletin – Forest Entomology Series, Forest Research Institute, no. 1, 19 pp.Google Scholar
Bhanot, J.P., Verma, A.N. & Kashyap, R.K. (1984) Population dynamics of termites in barley fields and correlation between termite populations and termite damage. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Entomologie 98, 234–238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bigger, M. (1966) The biology and control of termites damaging field crops in Tanganyika. Bulletin of Entomological Research 53, 417–444.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Black, H.I.J. & Wood, T.G. (1989) The effects of cultivation on the vertical distribution of Microtermes spp (Isoptera: Termitidae: Macrotermitinae) in soil at Mokwa, Nigeria. Sociobiology 15, 133–138.Google Scholar
Coaton, W.G.H. & Sheasby, J.L. (1977) National survey of the Isoptera of southern Africa. 13. The genus Pseudacanthotermes Sjöstedt (Termitidae: Macrotermitinae). Cimbebasia, Ser. A, 3 (13), 183–205.Google Scholar
Collins, N.M. (1984) Termite (Isoptera) damage and crop loss studies in Nigeria – Assessment of damage to upland sugar cane. Tropical Pest Management 30 (1), 26–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowie, R.H., Logan, J.M.W. & Wood, T.G. (1989) Termite (Isoptera) damage and control in tropical forestry with special reference to Africa and Indo-malaysia: a review. Bulletin of Entomological Research 79, 173–184.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gahukar, R.T. (1991) Current approaches to cassava pest managment in subtropical Africa. Agricultural Zoology Reviews 4, 97–136.Google Scholar
Gao, D., Lam, P.K.S. & Sheik, Y. (1992) Economic important termite species in China, p. 596 in Living insects.Proceedings of the 19th International Congress of Entomology,Beijing, China,June–4 July 1992. 28Google Scholar
Harris, W.V. (1969) Termites as pests of sugar cane. pp. 225–235in William, J.R., Metcalfe, J.R., Mungomery, R.W. & Mathes, R. (Eds) Pests of sugar cane. Amsterdam, Elsevier.Google Scholar
Harris, W.V. (1971) Termites. Their recognition and control. 186 pp. 2nd edn.London, Commonwealth Institute of Entomology.Google Scholar
Johnson, R.A., Lamb, R.W. & Wood, T.G. (1981) Termite damage and crop loss studies in Nigeria – a survey of damage to groundnuts. Tropical Pest Management 27, 325–342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, K.E. & Wood, T.G. (1971) Termites and soils. 251 pp. New York and London, Academic Press.Google Scholar
Logan, J.M.W. (1991) Damage to sorghum by termites (Isoptera: Macrotermitinae) in the Lower Shire Valley, Malawi. Sociobiology 19, 305–307.Google Scholar
Logan, J.M.W., Cowie, R.H. & Wood, T.G. (1990) Termite (Isoptera) control in agriculture and forestry by non chemical methods: a review. Bulletin of Entomological Research 80, 309–330.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Malaret, L. & Ngoru, F.N. (1989) Ethno-ecology: A tool for community based pest management farmer knowledge of termites in Machakos district, Kenya, Sociobiology 15, 197–211.Google Scholar
Mills, A.E. (1992) Termites as agricultural pests in Amazonia, Brazil. Outlook on Agriculture, 21, 41–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sands, W.A. (1973a) Termites as pest of tropical food crops. Pest Articles and News Summaries 19, 167–177.Google Scholar
Sands, W.A. (1973b) Termites as tree and crops pests. Medelingen van de Faculteit Landbouwwetenschappen Rijksuniversiteit 38, 817–830.Google Scholar
Sands, W.A. (1977) The role of termites in tropical agriculture. Outlook on Agriculture 9, 136–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shahid, A.S. & Akhtar, M.S. (1992) Termite (Isoptera) population and damage in sugar cane field at Gojra, Toba Tek Singh, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Ecology 24, 161–164.Google Scholar
Thakur, M.L. & Sen-Sarma, P.K. (1980) Current status of termites as pests of forest nurseries and plantations in India. Journal of the Indian Academy of Wood Science 11, 7–15.Google Scholar
Tshuma, J., Logan, J.W.M. & Pearce, M.J. (1992) Termites attacking fields crops, pasture and forest trees in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe Journal of Agriculture Research 26, 87–97.Google Scholar
Ueckert, D.N., Bodine, M.C. & Spears, B.M. (1976) Population density and biomass of the desert termite, Gnathamitermes tubiformans (Isoptera: Termitidae) in a short grass prairie: relationship to temperature and moisture. Ecology 57, 1273–1280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vidyasagar, P.S.P.V. & Keshava, Bhat S. (1991) Pest management in coconut gardens. Journal of Plantation Crops 19, 163–182.Google Scholar
Wood, T.G. (1991) Termites in Ethiopia: The environmental impact of their damage and resultant control measures. Ambio 20, 136–138.Google Scholar
Wood, T.G. & Johnson, R.A. (1978) Abundance and vertical distribution in soil of Microtermes (Isoptera, Termitidae) in savanna woodland and agricultural ecosystems at Mokwa, Nigeria. Memorabilia Zoolgica 29, 203–213.Google Scholar
Wood, T.G., Johnson, R.A. & Ohiagu, C.E. (1980) Termite damage and crop loss studies in Nigeria: a review of termite (Isoptera) damage to maize and estimation of damage, loss in yield and termite (Microtermes) abundance at Mokwa. Tropical Pest Management 26, 241–253.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood, T.G., Bednarzik, M. & Aden, H. (1987) Damage to crops by Microtermes najdensis (Isoptera, Macrotermitinae) in irrigated semi-desert areas of the Red Sea coast. 1. The Tihama of the Yemen Arab Republic. Tropical Pest Management 33, 142–150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar