Response of the Termite, Coptotermes formosanus SHRIAKI to Extracts from Fungus-infected and Delignified Fungus-infected Woods

Abstract

Pine (Pinus densiflora SIEB. et Zucc.) and beech (Faqus crenata BLUME) wood meals which delignified or not delignified, were decayed by 4 species of white rot fungi, Coriolus versicoior, Lenzites betulina, Pycnopoms coccineus and Ganoderma lucidum, and 7 species of brown rot fungi, Tyromyces palustris, Daedalea dickinsii, Lenzites trabea, Gloeophyllum saepiarium, Coniophora puteana, Serpula lacrymans and Lentinus lepideus. Thereafter, a trail-following activity to the termite, Coplotermes formosanus in the ether extracts of these decayed wood meals was examined. The extracts of the delignified pine wood meals decayed by the brown rot fungi other than c. puteana showed the trail-following activity. The extracts of the normal pine, the normal beech and the delignified beech wood meals which were rotted by S. lacrymans, also showed the trail-following activity. The wood meals decayed by white rot fungi were decomposed heavily, and a great deal of mycelia and fruit bodies were produced. Nevertheless, the extracts of both normal wood meals and delignified wood meals decayed by all the white rot fungi did not show the trail-following activity.