Efficacy of several monitoring stations to detect Coptotermesformosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

The subterranean termite Coptotermesformosanus (Isoptera : Rhinotermitidae), an economically important pest species damaging trees and wooden structures, has a wide distribution in cities and rural areas in China. The efficacy of five monitoring stations for the monitoring of this termite activity was tested in four locations which were seriously infested by Coptotermes formosanus in Deqing county and Hangzhou city, Zhejiangprovince, China. Results showed that every monitoring station tested was useful to monitor the activity of termites. Termites would enter into the monitoring stations to feed on wood blocks within 1-2 weeks after installation of monitoring stations during the season of activity. However, the number of termites entering into a monitoring station to feed was positively related with the total volume of blocks in a monitoring station. Among the five monitoring stations tested, the monitoring stations produced by the Hangzhou Institute of Termite Control and the Shanghai Wanning Pest Control Technology Co., Ltd. trapped much more termites than those produced by the U.S. companies Ensystex Inc. and DowAgro Sciences. The numbers of termites trapped were 3051-8712 and 2038-8684 for the former and 236-503 and 291-522 for the latter. This means the design of a monitoring station has an important effect on the number of termites trapped.