2006 Volume 21 Issue 1 Pages 21-25
The reaction of the Japanese termites Reticulitermes speratus colonized in Sapporo (Sap.) in low temperatures was compared with reactions of other local colonies (Akita, Tsukuba, Kagoshima) in Japan. Slowly lowering the temperature of a test tube from 20.0℃ to -4.0℃ gradually slowed the activity of all the test termites. Among the four colonies, Sap. was shown to have the widest temperature range in which "active behavior" was observed. The revival ratio of Sap. after "suspended animation" was higher than for the other colonies. The mortality rate of Sap. after over-wintering was 54.7%, while that of the other colonies exeeded 90%. During the five weeks of early spring, Sap. damaged a wood piece (steam-treated larch) more severely than the other colonies. These results suggest that Sap. has a higher cold resistance than other colonies (Akita, Tsukuba and Kagoshima).
