Gautam Bal K, Henderson Gregg
Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA 70802, USA.
Insects. 2012 Jun 27;3(3):629-39. doi: 10.3390/insects3030629.
Using two-dimensional foraging arenas, laboratory tests were conducted to investigate the effect of soil type, soil moisture level and ambient temperature on the exploratory tunneling by Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. In choice arenas consisting of two substrate types having two moisture levels each, and conducted at a constant temperature of 22 °C, a significantly greater proportion of termites aggregated in sand than in sandy loam. Similarly, the length of excavated tunnels was also increased in sand. In a given substrate, termite aggregation or tunnel length did not differ between 5% and 15% moisture levels. In no-choice tests, where three different substrates (sand, sandy loam and silt loam) were tested at two temperatures (22 °C and 28 °C), excavations were significantly greater in sand than either sandy loam or silt loam at 22 °C. Fewer primary tunnels were constructed in sandy loam than in sand and fewer branched tunnels than either in sand or silt loam. No significant difference in either tunnel length or number of primary or branched tunnels was found between these two temperatures.
利用二维觅食区域，进行了实验室测试，以研究土壤类型、土壤湿度水平和环境温度对台湾乳白蚁探索性挖掘行为的影响。在由两种具有不同湿度水平的基质类型组成的选择区域中，于22℃恒温条件下进行测试，结果显示，聚集在沙子中的白蚁比例显著高于砂壤土。同样，在沙子中挖掘的隧道长度也更长。在给定的基质中，5%和15%湿度水平下的白蚁聚集情况或隧道长度并无差异。在无选择测试中，对三种不同基质（沙子、砂壤土和粉质壤土）在两个温度（22℃和28℃）下进行测试，发现在22℃时，沙子中的挖掘量显著大于砂壤土或粉质壤土。砂壤土中建造的主隧道比沙子中少，分支隧道比沙子或粉质壤土中都少。在这两个温度之间，隧道长度、主隧道或分支隧道数量均未发现显著差异。
