U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            Morales Ramos, Juanitem
                                            Rojas, Maria

                                                         - *Guadalupe*
  Submitted to: Environmental Entomology
                                    Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 6/20/2007
                                    Publication  Date: 10/20/2007
                                    Citation: Morales Ramos, J.A., Rojas, M.G. 2007. Importance of Lipids for Queen Fecundity and Colony Growth of Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Environmental Entomology 36(5):1014-1017.Interpretive Summary: The Formosan subterranean termite is one of the most important urban pests and invasive species in the United States. Knowledge about the nutrition of the Formosan subterranean termite is fundamental for the development of effective bait formulations and for the implementation of effective cultural practices aimed to reduce the spread of this invasive pest. This research was aimed to the study of lipid nutrition of the Formosan subterranean termite. Lipids are found naturally in wood and may be an important source of nutrition for subterranean termites and may also play a role determining termite feeding preferences. This study focused on the importance of lipids for termite colony growth. Because termites are social insects, we used whole termite colonies as experimental units and follow their growth under different lipid nutrition regimes for a full year. Our study provided strong evidence that increase in the concentration of lipids in the termite food source correspond to an increase in queen fecundity and colony growth. This study may provide with an explanation for observations done in previous studies that determined differences in the nutritional value of different wood species to the Formosan subterranean termites. The use of lipids on bait matrices may enhance their palatability to termite workers increasing bait consumption.
                                Technical Abstract: The importance of lipids on the nutrition of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki was studied. Groups of 100 incipient colonies of C. formosanus were reared on artificial diet formulations containing 9 different concentrations of soy lecithin. Eggs were counted every 15 d for a 5-mo period at 27 ± 1oC, 93 ± 5% RH, and total darkness. The total number of eggs oviposited per queen (fecundity) was estimated by using a developmental rate-based graphic integration technique. At the end of a 1-y period the progeny of each colony was counted and recorded. Analysis of variance showed significant differences of both, queen fecundity and hatched progeny per colony, among the diet treatments. Single linear regression analysis showed a significant positive correlation between lecithin concentration in diet and queen fecundity and between lecithin concentration and hatched progeny per colony. The implications on termite nutritional ecology are discussed.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov