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Journal of Wood Science

Official Journal of the Japan Wood Research Society

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Feeding responses of the western dry-wood termite Incisitermes minor (Hagen) (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) against ten commercial timbers

Journal of Wood Science volume 53, pages 239–248 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Five Japanese timbers, four timbers from the USA, and one Malaysian timber were evaluated for their resistance to the invasive dry-wood termite Incisitermes minor (Hagen) using laboratory choice and no-choice feeding tests with holed specimens. The highest survival rates of I. minor in both the heartwood and sapwood no-choice feeding tests were more than 70% after 3 months. When offered sapwood and heartwood choice feeding tests and the combined choice feeding tests, the highest survival rates of I. minor were more than 75% after 3 months. With regards to the percentage of wood mass losses in the no-choice and choice feeding tests, karamatsu (Larix leptolepsis), buna (Fagus crenata), and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) were classified as “resistant” species among the ten sapwood specimens. In the heartwood no-choice and choice feeding tests, the resistant species were buna, karamatsu, Douglas fir, sugi (Cryptomeria japonica), akamatsu (Pinus densiflora), and western red cedar (Thuja plicata). The ranking of the resistance of the ten commercial timbers against I. minor was buna > karamatsu > sugi > western red cedar > Douglas fir > rubber > western hemlock > hinoki > spruce.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH), Kyoto University, Gokasho, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan

    Yuliati Indrayani, Tsuyoshi Yoshimura & Yuji Imamura

  2. Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Yoshiyuki Yanase

Authors
  1. Yuliati Indrayani
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  2. Tsuyoshi Yoshimura
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  3. Yoshiyuki Yanase
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  4. Yuji Imamura
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Correspondence to Yuliati Indrayani.

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Indrayani, Y., Yoshimura, T., Yanase, Y. et al. Feeding responses of the western dry-wood termite Incisitermes minor (Hagen) (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) against ten commercial timbers. J Wood Sci 53, 239–248 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10086-006-0840-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10086-006-0840-1

Key words

  • Feeding responses
  • Commercial timbers
  • Western dry-wood termite
  • Incisitermes minor (Hagen)