Abstract
Foraging activity and cast composition of the harvester termite, Anacanthotermesochraceuswere studied during 2015-2017 years at Ismailia Governorate. Results revealed the presence of two peaks per year. The first and higher one occurred in March with total number of 373 and 557 individuals caught in 105 traps, representing 13.37 and 20.99 %, during 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 respectively. The second and lower peak occurred in September with total numbers of 34 and 174 individuals caught in 105 traps, representing 1.3 and 6.55%, during both years, respectively. The effect of weather factors (i.e. mean temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, solar radiation and rain fall) was determined using multiple regressions. Results showed highly significant effect in the first year. Multiple regression values explained 77.04% of foraging activity (P= 0.0001). In the second year regression analysis was mostly significant. Multiple regressionexplained61.26% of foraging activity (P= 0.0001). The average percentages of different castes of A. ochraceus were 67.1, 32.7, 0.18 and 0.0 % for workers, nymphs, soldiers and alates during the first year, respectively. Related values were 72.97, 26.65, 0.226 and 0.15 %, respectively in the second year. The food consumption was recorded as 1967.49 and 1651.35 gm in both years, representing 77.16 and 78.22 %,respectively of the offered food. The rate of food consumption during 1 st year was 15.63 g/m 2 or 65.687 kg/feddan while, at the second one it was 13.1g/m 2 or 55.138 kg/feddan.A. ochraceus translocate 14,714.1 g of soil in the first year. The weight of constructed soil was 116.96 gm/m 2 and 491.23 kg/feddan, while it was 9,034.17 gmthroughout the second year. It was 71.81 g/m 2 or 301.617 kg/feddan.Constructed soilrecorded higher rates in April and September representing 15.81 and 10.46% fold as food consumption in the other months. Statistical analysis showed that in both years multiple regression was 91.3 and 86% respectively, of constructed soil can be explained by both food consumption and all weather factors measured together (P= 0.0001). The most influential factors were food consumption among other measured weather factors which were significant positive (P= 0.0001). Keywords: Anacanthotermesochraceus, Foraging activity, Cast composition,Food consumption,Constructed soil,Weather factors.
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