Abstract
The heartwood of bald cypress,Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich., resisted feeding attack by the Formosan subterranean termite,Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. Hexane-extracted heartwood, however, was consumed at > 12 times the amount of sound heartwood eaten. A bioassay usingT. distichum sapwood as a feeding substrate was employed to assess the antitermitic activity of successive hexane, acetone, and methanol extracts of heartwood shavings and isolates derived from the active hexane extract. Two fractions, eluted from the crude hexane extract by liquid chromatography, significantly reduced termite feeding compared to the parent extract, while a third fraction was less active than the original hexane extract. Each fraction contained one major component. All three components were structurally related diterpenes. The two most active heartwood constituents were identified by GC-MS and NMR as ferruginol and manool, while the third and least active, but most prevalent, compound in heartwood was identified as nezukol. Results of bioassays suggest that these allelochemicals act principally as feeding deterrents with accompanying termite mortality due to starvation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Almqvist, S.-O., Enzell, C.R., andWehrli, F.W. 1975. Carbon-13 NMR studies of labdane diterpenoids.Acta Chem. Scand. 29B:695–702.
Becker, G., Lenz, M., andDietz, S. 1972. Unterschiede im Verhalten und Giftempfindlichkeit verschiedener Termiten-Arten gegenüber einigen Kernholzstoffen.Z. angew. Entomol. 71:201–214.
Becker, G., Petrowitz, H.-J., andLenz, M. 1971. Über die Ursache der abschreckenden Wirkung von Kiefernholz auf Termiten.Z. angew. Entomol. 68:180–186.
Behr, E.A., Behr, C.T., andWilson, L.F. 1972. Influence of wood hardness on feeding by the eastern subterranean termite,Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 65:457–460.
Bultman, J.D., andSouthwell, C.R. 1976. Natural resistance of tropical American woods to terrestrial wood-destroying organisms.Biotropica 8:71–95.
Bultman, J.D., Beal, R.H., andAmpong, F.F.K. 1979. Natural resistance of some tropical African woods toCoptotermes formosanus Shiraki.For. Prod. J. 29:46–51.
Carter, F.L. 1976. Responses of subterranean termites to wood extractives.Mater. Org. 3:357–364.
Carter, F.L., andDell, T.R. 1981. Screening selected American hardwoods for natural resistance to a native subterranean termite,Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar). USDA For. Serv., So. For. Expt. Stn. Res. Paper No. SO-176. 10 pp.
Carter, F.L., andSmythe, R.V. 1972. Extractives of bald cypress, black walnut, and redwood and survival of the eastern subterranean termite,Reticulitermes flavipes.Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 65:686–689.
Carter, F.L., andSmythe, R.V. 1974. Feeding and survival responses ofReticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) to extractives of wood from 11 coniferous genera.Holzforschung 28:41–45.
Carter, F.L., Garlo, A.M., andStanley, J.B. 1978. Termiticidal components of wood extracts: 7-Methyljuglone fromDiospyros virginiana.J. Agric. Food Chem. 26:869–873.
Carter, F.L., Mauldin, J.K., andRich, N.M. 1981. Protozoan populations ofCoptotermes formosanus Shiraki exposed to heartwood samples of 21 American species.Mater. Org. 16:29–38.
Corbett, R.E., andSmith, R.A.J. 1967. Diterpenes from the volatile oil ofDacrydium colensoi.J. Chem. Soc. 1967C:300–302.
Dev., S., andMisra, R. 1985. p. 307in S. Dev. (ed.). CRC Handbook of Terpenoids: Diterpenoids, Vol. 3. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.
Ellis, B.R. 1936. Tidewater red cypress resists termites for over 300 years at St. Augustine.South. Lumber J. 40:22.
Harlow, W.M., andHarrar, E.S. 1969. Textbook of Dendrology. McGraw-Hill, New York. 512 pp.
Jones, C.G., Aldrich, J.R., andBlum, M.S. 1981a. 2-Furaldehyde from bald cypress—a chemical rationale for the demise of the Georgia silkworm industry.J. Chem. Ecol. 7:89–101.
Jones, C.G., Aldrich, J.R., andBlum, M.S. 1981b. Bald cypress allelochemics and the inhibition of silkworm enteric microorganisms—some ecological considerations.J. Chem. Ecol. 7:103–114.
Morris, G.A., andFreeman, R. 1978. Enhancement of nuclear magnetic resonance signals by polarization transfer.J. Am. Chem. Soc. 101:760–762.
Oshima, M. 1919. Formosan termites and methods of preventing their damage.Philip. J. Sci. 15:319–379.
Rao, C.B., Raju, G.V.S., Krishna, P.G., andChari, V.M. 1982. Chemical examination ofPremna species: Part 7—constituents of root bark ofPremna latifolia var.cuneata. Indian J. Chem. 21B:294–298.
Rudman, P. 1964. The causes of natural durability in timber. 15. A gas Chromatographic investigation into the nature and radial variation of the heartwood extractives of cypress pine (Callitriscolumellaris F. Muell.).Holzforschung 18:116–120.
Rudman, P., andGay, F.J. 1961. The causes of natural durability in timber. 5. The role of extractives in the resistance of tallowwood (Eucalyptusmicrocorys F. Muell.) to attack by the subterranean termiteNasutitermes exitiosus (Hill).Holzforschung 15:50–53.
Rudman, P., andGay, F.J. 1964. The causes of natural durability in timber. 14. Intraspecific variations in termite resistance of cypress pine (Callitriscolumellaris F. Muell.).Holzforschung 18:113–116.
Saeki, I., Sumimoto, M., andKondo, T. 1973. The termiticidal substances from the wood ofChamaecyparis pisifera D. Don.Holzforschung 27:93–96.
Sandermann, W., andDietrichs, H.H. 1957. Untersuchungen über termitenresistente Hölzer.Holz Roh-Werk. 15:281–297.
Scheffrahn, R.H., andRust, M.K. 1983. Drywood termite feeding deterrents in sugar pine and antitermitic activity of related compounds.J. Chem. Ecol. 9:39–55.
Smythe, R.V., andCarter, F.L. 1969. Feeding responses to sound wood by the eastern subterranean termite,Reticulitermes flavipes.Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 62:335–337.
Smythe, R.V., andCarter, F.L. 1970a. Feeding responses to sound wood byCoptotermes formosanus, Reticulitermes flavipes, andR. virginicus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 63:841–847.
Smythe, R.V., andCarter, F.L. 1970b. Survival and behavior of three subterranean termite species in sawdust of eleven wood species.Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 63:847–850.
Steel, R.G.D., andTorrie, J.H. 1980. Principles and Procedures of Statistics. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Su, N.-Y., andScheffrahn, R.H. 1986. A method to access, trap, and monitor field populations of the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in the urban environment.Sociobiology 12:299–304.
Tamashiro, M., Fujii, J.K., andLai, P.-Y. 1973. A simple method to observe, trap, and prepare large numbers of subterranean termites for laboratory and field experiments.Environ. Entomol. 2:721–722.
Wenkert, E., Buckwalter, B.L., Burfitt, I.R., Gasic, M.J., Gottlieb, H.E., Hagaman, E.W., Schell, F.M., andWoukulich, P.M. 1976. Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of naturally occurring substances, p. 81,in G.C. Levy (ed.). Topics in Carbon-13 N.M.R. Spectroscopy, Vol. 2. Wiley-Interscience, New York.
Wolcott, G.N. 1950. An index to termite-resistance of woods.Bull. Agric. Expt. Stn. Univ. P.R. 85:26 pp.
Wolcott, G.N. 1953. Termite-repellent wood extractives.J. Agric. Univ. P.R. 37:224–227.
Wolcott, G.N. 1957. Inherent natural resistance of woods to the attack of the West Indian dry-wood termite,Cryptotermes brevis Walker.J. Agric. Univ. P.R. 41:259–311.
Yaga, S., andKinjo, K. 1985. On the resistance of Okinawan timbers 9. Termiticidal substance from the wood ofGuettarda speciosa L.Mokuzai Gakkaishi 31:684–687.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Scheffrahn, R.H., Hsu, RC., Su, NY. et al. Allelochemical resistance of bald cypress,Taxodium distichum, heartwood to the subterranean termite,Coptotermes formosanus . J Chem Ecol 14, 765–776 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01018771
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01018771