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Effects of two locust control methods on wood-eating termites in arid Australia

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Abstract

Termites are ubiquitous detritivores and are a key influence on soil function and nutrient cycles, particularly in arid and semi-arid ecosystems. Locust control presents a unique hazard to termites and the effective functioning of ecosystems as a consequence of the overlap between pesticide applications and termite populations in grassland and desert landscapes. We monitored the effects of locust control methods using ultra-low-volume (ULV) barrier application of a chemical pesticide, fipronil, and a blanket application of a fungal biopesticide, Metarhizium acridum, on wood-eating termites in arid western New South Wales, Australia. We tested the hypothesis that spray applications decrease termite activity at wood baits using a BACI designed field experiment over 2 years. Our replicated control and treatment sites represented the spatial scale of Australian locust control activities. There was no detectable impact of either locust control treatment on termite activity, bait mass loss or termite community composition measures. Non-significant differences in termite survey measures among sites suggested that climate and environmental conditions were stronger drivers of our termite measures than the single, localized and unreplicated application of pesticides more commonly used in locust control operations in arid Australia. A lack of evidence for an impact of our fipronil or Metarhizium application methods supports their use as low hazard locust control options with minimal large scale and longer-term effects on termites in Australian arid rangelands. Future research would be necessary to determine the probable short-term impacts of treatments on individual termite colonies and the possible impacts on non-wood eating termite species in the arid-zone.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this project was provided by the Australian Research Council (ARC) and the Australian Plague Locust Commission (APLC) through an ARC Linkage Grant (LP110200105) administered through the University of Wollongong and in collaboration with Flinders University and Macquarie University. Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station, managed by the University of New South Wales, provided access to the site and hosted the project researchers and volunteers. APLC officers, students and volunteers provided field assistance. This study was permitted by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (SL 100629).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

    Kimberly Maute & Kristine French

  2. Australian Plague Locust Commission, GPO Box 858, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

    Paul Story

  3. School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia

    C. M. Bull

  4. Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia

    Grant C. Hose

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  1. Kimberly Maute
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  5. Grant C. Hose
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Correspondence to Kimberly Maute.

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Maute, K., French, K., Story, P. et al. Effects of two locust control methods on wood-eating termites in arid Australia. J Insect Conserv 20, 107–118 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-016-9844-3

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