Matthew T. Messenger

Elimination and Reinvasion Studies with Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Louisiana

Abstract Three Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), colonies located inside the 12.75-ha Louis Armstrong Park, New Orleans, were selected for elimination by using the chitin synthesis inhibitor hexaflumuron. Once eliminated, each vacated foraging territory was monitored for reinvasion by neighboring C. formosanus colonies, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) colonies, or both. Each selected colony was eliminated in ≈3 mo by using baits containing hexaflumuron. Overall activity of each untreated colony in the park remained unchanged during the same period. New C. formosanus and R. flavipes activity was detected in two of the three vacated territories, and in both areas, within days of selected colony elimination. The third vacated territory was completely reoccupied by a new C. formosanus colony ≈7 mo later. Mark–recapture studies and DNA fingerprinting confirmed the distinctness of the reinvaders from eliminated and neighboring colonies.

One Health approach to identify research needs in bovine and human babesioses: workshop report

BackgroundBabesia are emerging health threats to humans and animals in the United States. A collaborative effort of multiple disciplines to attain optimal health for people, animals and our environment, otherwise known as the One Health concept, was taken during a research workshop held in April 2009 to identify gaps in scientific knowledge regarding babesioses. The impetus for this analysis was the increased risk for outbreaks of bovine babesiosis, also known as Texas cattle fever, associated with the re-infestation of the U.S. by cattle fever ticks.ResultsThe involvement of wildlife in the ecology of cattle fever ticks jeopardizes the ability of state and federal agencies to keep the national herd free of Texas cattle fever. Similarly, there has been a progressive increase in the number of cases of human babesiosis over the past 25 years due to an increase in the white-tailed deer population. Human babesiosis due to cattle-associated Babesia divergens and Babesia divergens-like organisms have begun to appear in residents of the United States. Research needs for human and bovine babesioses were identified and are presented herein.ConclusionsThe translation of this research is expected to provide veterinary and public health systems with the tools to mitigate the impact of bovine and human babesioses. However, economic, political, and social commitments are urgently required, including increased national funding for animal and human Babesia research, to prevent the re-establishment of cattle fever ticks and the increasing problem of human babesiosis in the United States.

NEW FLIGHT DISTANCE RECORDED FOR COPTOTERMES FORMOSANUS (ISOPTERA: RHINOTERMITIDAE)

The Formosan subterranean termite (FST), Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), was first introduced to New Orleans after World War II inside infested cargo returning from the Orient (La Fage 1987). For the past 60 years, they have spread throughout the New Orleans metro area, displaced native subterranean termite species, and significantly damaged buildings, trees, boats, and railroad ties in the process. To help combat the problem, the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) provided funding for treating buildings in a 50-block area of the French Quarter in New Orleans to determine if an area-wide subterranean termite control program is capable of reducing overall populations. Since 1998, populations have been reduced based on structural inspections, termite activity inside independent monitoring stations installed throughout the French Quarter, and the overall number of alates (winged reproductives) recovered from insect glue boards attached to streetlights throughout the French Quarter (Lax & Osbrink 2003). However, alates are still being captured in significant numbers inside selective areas of the French Quarter and along the borders of this treatment zone. Each year during May and June, untold numbers of male and female alates disperse throughout the area in the early evening and tend to congregate around light sources when present. Information on how far they are capable of flying from a dispersal point was virtually unknown, especially in a large urban area. During field observations in early 2004, it appeared that FST alates were flying across the Mississippi River with the aid of prevailing winds and into the French Quarter. To establish if alates were dispersing into the treatment zone from bordering areas, alates were marked with fluorescent visible powders (Shannon Luminous Materials, Inc., Santa Ana, CA) during two dispersal flights on different evenings at a selected site of known termite activity across the Mississippi River, located directly to the southeast of the French Quarter. In cooperation with USDA-ARS, 445 rectangular (20.7 cm × 10.2 cm) glue boards (TRAPPER® LTD, Bell Laboratories, Inc., Madison, WI) were attached to streetlights along the Riverwalk and throughout the French Quarter to capture potentially marked alates. The glue boards were positioned on the streetlights just below the lantern. Weather conditions, including wind velocity and direction, were recorded each evening with a hand-held weather station (Kestrel® 4000, Nielsen-Kellerman, Boothwyn, PA). Alates were individually marked with a bright orange fluorescent powder with a handheld commercial duster as they were flying in a north to northwest direction over the river. These alates were already in flight at the time of marking and their source could not be located. After marking, every glue board was removed and inspected with a UV black light. New glue boards were used for each dispersal flight event. On 1 June 2004, approximately 50 FST alates were initially marked and a single alate was recovered across the River on a glue board 771 m away (Fig. 1). Then, on 7 June, approximately 50 alates were marked again and two alates were recovered on glue boards 866 m and 892 m away (Fig. 1). The wind direction on 1 and 7 June was from the south and southeast at an average speed of 0.93 m/sec and 0.83 m/sec, respectively. Previously, a wind speed at or below 1.0 m/sec was shown to be one of the most important microenvironmental factors involved in determining dispersal flight activity (Leong et al. 1983).

CURRENT DISTRIBUTION OF THE FORMOSAN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE AND OTHER TERMITE SPECIES (ISOPTERA: RHINOTERMITIDAE, KALOTERMITIDAE) IN LOUISIANA

Abstract A statewide survey in Louisiana on the current distribution of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, and other termite species was conducted with 91 pest control companies, city and state agencies, and the New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board from January 1999 to August 2002. A total of 812 samples were used in the survey constituting all eight known termite species from Louisiana. The subterranean termite species identified were Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), R. virginicus (Banks), R. hageni Banks, and C. formosanus. The drywood termite species identified were Incisitermes snyderi (Light), I. minor (Hagen), Cryptotermes brevis (Walker), and Kalotermes approximatus (Snyder). Incisitermes minor was also collected in Mississippi and is a new record in that state. The collective data on the flight season of each species was also recorded.

Elimination of subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) colonies using a refined cellulose bait matrix containing noviflumuron when monitored and replenished quarterly.

ABSTRACT Using a quarterly (3-mo) monitoring and bait-replenishment interval, 122 subterranean termite colonies throughout the United States were baited with a refined cellulose bait matrix containing 0.5% noviflumuron. All colonies were eliminated in less than 1 yr after initiation of baiting as determined by long-term monitoring and genetic markers. Sixty-three percent of the colonies were eliminated during the first quarter after the initiation of baiting and 77% of colonies were eliminated after consuming two bait tubes or less. This suggests that a single baiting cycle and bait installed in response to a single active monitoring device were sufficient to eliminate the majority of colonies. Although termites temporarily abandoned stations after depleting bait, workers resumed feeding when baits were replenished. Colonies that consumed large amounts of bait before elimination foraged into multiple stations, thus allowing adequate amounts of bait to sustain feeding. The time to eliminate termite colonies with bait replenished quarterly was similar to that previously reported for laminated cellulose bait replenished monthly. Our data support the conclusion that extending the bait replenishment interval from monthly to quarterly for bait tubes with refined cellulose containing 0.5% noviflumuron did not adversely impact colony elimination.

Exploring the use of an anti-tick vaccine as a tool for the integrated eradication of the cattle fever tick, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus

Bovine babesiosis, also known as cattle fever, is a tick-borne protozoal disease foreign to the United States. It was eradicated by eliminating the vector species, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) annulatus and Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, through the efforts of the Cattle Fever Tick Eradication Program (CFTEP), with the exception of a permanent quarantine zone (PQZ) in south Texas along the border with Mexico. Keeping the U.S. free of cattle fever ticks in a sustainable manner is a critical national agricultural biosecurity issue. The efficacy of a Bm86-based anti-tick vaccine commercialized outside of the U.S. was evaluated against a strain of R. annulatus originated from an outbreak in Texas. Vaccination controlled 99.9 and 91.4% of the ticks 8 weeks and 5.5 months after the initial vaccination, respectively. Computer modeling of habitat suitability within the PQZ typically at risk of re-infestation with R. annulatus from Mexico predicted that at a level of control greater than 40%, eradication would be maintained indefinitely. Efficacy and computer modeling data indicate that the integration of vaccination using a Bm86-based anti-tick vaccine with standard eradication practices within the northwestern half of the PQZ could incentivize producers to maintain cattle on pasture thereby avoiding the need to vacate infested premises. Implementing this epidemiologically proactive strategy offers the opportunity to prevent R. annulatus outbreaks in the U.S., which would represent a significant shift in the way the CFTEP operates.

MITOCHONDRIAL DNA VARIATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE GENUS RETICULITERMES (ISOPTERA: RHINOTERMITIDAE) IN ARKANSAS AND LOUISIANA

Abstract Limited information exists on genetic variation and distribution of Reticulitermes from the south central United States. Focusing on molecular sequence data from the mitochondrial DNA 16S gene, this study records the distribution and genetic variation of Reticulitermes species in Arkansas and updates the current distribution in a neighboring State, Louisiana. Termite samples were collected from the field, subjected to DNA analysis with Polymerase Chain-Reaction (PCR), and sequenced. Reticulitermes sp. sequence data were aligned, genetic distances recorded, and their respective haplotypes were evaluated for possible geographic structure. From 35 Arkansas counties, 59 R. flavipes, 13 R. hageni, and seven R. virginicus were identified. In Arkansas, 11 mitochondrial haplotypes were observed in R. flavipes, three in R. hageni and three in R. virginicus. Among the 12 Louisiana parishes sampled, 13 R. flavipes, three R. virginicus, and one R. tibialis were identified with six, three, and one haplotypes for each species, respectively. Genetic variation among the R. flavipes haplotypes from both States ranged from 0.2 to 0.9%. Reticulitermes flavipes haplotype diversity observed in Arkansas and Louisiana was lower than observed in Texas and Oklahoma.

First Report of Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Italy

The first record of Reticuliterms flavipes (Kol l?r) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Europe was in 1837, in Vienna, Austria, after infested plants im ported from the U.S. were discovered in the green house of the Sch?nbrunn Palace (Kollar 1837). In 1924, R. flavipes was found on the French Atlan tic coast and initially described as a new species, R. santonensis (Feytaud 1924). The synonymy of R. santonensis with R. flavipes was eventually confirmed by mitochondrial DNA analyses (Aus tin et al. 2002). In France, R. flavipes is currently distributed in an area extending from the Gi ronde region up to Paris and Normandy, and causes structural damage to buildings and trees (Lohou et al. 1997). During the 1930s, R. flavipes was discovered in wooden forepoles of channel construction in the steam heating district of Hamburg, Germany, where populations were sup ported by the favorable microclimate (Weidner 1937). Today, populations of R. flavipes remain es tablished in Hamburg, and cause damage to buildings and trees (Hertel & Plarre 2006). In Oct 2008, a subterranean termite infesta tion was discovered by a homeowner in a de tached house and adjacent garden situated in a residential district built in the 1970s in the out skirts of Olgiate Olona (Varese), in northern Italy. Termite workers and soldiers were observed and collected during a structural inspection in Nov 2008. Specimens are maintained in the Marini termite collection at the University of Bologna. Molecular analysis was used to determine the termite species, which were preserved in 100% ethanol prior to DNA extraction. A 684-bp region of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit II gene and a 491-bp region of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene were amplified by PCR. Sequencing was performed by Macrogen Inc. (Seoul, South Korea). Closely related sequences were identified from GenBank using the BLAST network service (Altschul et al. 1990) at NCBI. For both genes, nucleotide sequences were identical in the 2 workers (GenBank Accession GU070788 and GU070789). Sequences from the Olgiate Olona house corresponded (97-100% cov erage, 100% similarity for COII sequence; 92 100% coverage, 100% similarity for 16S sequence) to GenBank sequences of R. flavipes from North America and France and of R. arenincola Goell ner (Table 1). This latter species appears to be identical to R. flavipes based on the DNA se quences obtained so far.

Genetic Evidence for a New Subterranean Termite Species (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) from Western United States and Canada

Abstract Genetic evidence for a new subterranean termite species herein named Reticulitermes okanaganensis is provided based on DNA sequence analysis. Partial sequences of the mitochondrial DNA rRNA 16S gene were obtained from 27 samples of R. okanaganensis from British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and California. Five nucleotide sites were variable among the four observed haplotypes. One haplotype occurred only once, while the most common haplotype, O3, occurred in 37% of the samples. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of R. okanaganensis relative to five other North American Reticulitermes species has clarified its distinct position within the genus.

First Report of Incisitermes Minor (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) in Louisiana

On 9 June 1998, drywood termite alates, soldiers, and pseudergates were collected from inside a dead limb of a living Arizona ash, Fraxinus uelutina Torr., tree inside 31acre Louis Armstrong Park, which is located immediately northwest of the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana. Subsequent inspection of Perseverance Hall in the park revealed an extensive drywood termite infestation on the first and second floors. Perseverance Hall is located in the southeast portion of the park approximately 25 meters from the ash tree. On 22 July 1999, a drywood soldier was collected from inside Perseverance Hall. Previously, only a few pseudergates and dark-colored wings had been recovered. The alates and soldiers collected from the ash tree and the soldier and wings recovered in Perseverance Hall were identified as the western drywood termite, Incisitermes minor (Hagen) (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) using termite keys developed by Banks & Snyder ( 1920), Snyder (1954), Weesner (1965), and Scheffrahn & Su (1994). Incisitermes minor alates were also collected during the last week of May until the last week of June from 20.7 cm x 10.2 cm glue traps (TRAPPER?LTD, Bell Laboratories, Inc., Madison, WI.) placed near lights inside the park and on the perimeter fence surrounding the park. Two I. minor alates were recovered from 19 traps in 1998 and 28 alates were recovered from 70 traps in 1999. These glue traps were originally placed in the park to monitor flight activity of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). This is the first record of I. minor in Louisiana and the first infestation in non-structural wood noted for this species in Louisiana. Voucher specimens were deposited at the University of Florida termite collection in Ft. Lauderdale and at the City of New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board termite collection in New Orleans. Incisitermes minor is considered one of the five most economically important and destructive termites in the United States (Su & Scheffrahn 1990). However, the main distribution of I. minor is primarily found in the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico (Light 1934). Non-native drywood termite species are generally introduced into new areas after infested furniture and lumber is shipped from one state to another. The first introduction of I. minor in Florida was reported after alates swarmed from an infested chair that was shipped from California (Scheffrahn et al. 1988). Snyder (1954) reported the introduction of I. minor into a church in Cleveland, Ohio, in wood boxes shipped from Mexico and into a house in Niagara Falls, New York, from grape boxes shipped from California. Incisitermes minor was also introduced to a building in Toronto, Canada (Grace et al. 1991). Other reports of I. minor introductions in structural wood include Ohio, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Maryland, and Iowa (Gay 1967). Howell et al. (1987) reported I. minor from furniture in Texas. The source of the I. minor infestation in New Orleans is unclear. It is not known whether the ash was infested with I. minor before being planted near Perseverance Hall 15-18 years ago. Some reports suggest Perseverance Hall has had a drywood in-