Foraging activity and demographic patterns of two termite species (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) living in urban landscapes in southeastern Brazil
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Data
2005-12-01
Autores
Arab, Alberto
Costa-Leonardo, Ana Maria [UNESP]
Casarin, Fabiana Elaine [UNESP]
Guaraldo, André de Camargo [UNESP]
Chaves, Ricardo C. [UNESP]
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Resumo
Coptotermes gestroi and Heterotermes tenuis (Isoptera: Rbinotermitidae) are important pests in southeastern Brazil causing serious economic damage. In this study we determined the demographic patterns and foraging activity of these species using mark-release-recapture and the consumption of wooden stakes. Using both the weighted mean and Lincoln index methods, population estimates ranged from ≈ 0.57 to 1.99 million individuals for C. gestroi and from ≈ 0.20 to 1.37 million for H. tenuis. Territory size of the colonies ranged from 172.5 to 5235 m 2 for C. gestroi and from 16 to 40 m 2 for H. tenuis. Our results also indicate that foraging activity was dependent on the minimum temperature; however, the existence of a compensation strategy in the foraging activities may permit foragers to exploit food sources under different environmental conditions.
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Isoptera, Mark-release-recapture, Rhinotermitidae, Subterranean termites, Territory size, Wood consumption, Foraging behavior, Mark-recapture method, Pest species, Termite, Urban ecosystem, Brazil, South America, Coptotermes gestroi, Heterotermes tenuis
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European Journal of Entomology, v. 102, n. 4, p. 691-697, 2005.