Toxicity of boron compounds in the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Abstract

Boron, like other trace elements needed for proper organisma1 growth and development, has many biological roles and complex interactions. In this thesis I measured native boron concentrations in three species of termites, C. formosanus, C. acinaciformis (Froggatt), and Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggatt, and gauged their ability to tolerate sublethal exposure to timber treated with different boron compounds. Based on those data, the ability of C. formosanus to recover from sublethal exposure to boron-treated timber and whether C. formosanus can horizontally transfer quantifiable amounts of boron was assessed.