Suitability of substrate for laboratory studies with the subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei Clément (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Abstract

Two substrates, sand and vermiculite, were tested in rearing laboratory experiments with Reticulitermes grassei at different culture periods (2, 4 and 6 weeks). Although information is available regarding procedures to keep species of Reticulitermes in lab, none of them is referred to the Mediterranean termite R. grassei. The suitability of substrate was assessed in terms of survival of termites. No statistically significant differences were obtained in the survival rate in the experiments with sand and vermiculite when short-time duration tests are performed, concluding that it seems to be indifferent using any of these substrates for shorter test than 8 weeks.