Termites (Insecta: Blattodea) buildings in urban located in the municipality of Seropédica, RJ

Abstract

The Termites (Blattodea) are insects found between latitudes 52° N e 45° S in temperate climate places, such as in tropical areas. In Brazil, about 300 species were recorded belonging to four families: Kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Serritermitidae and Termitidae. Considered eusocial, they form colonies of individuals with overlapping generations, cooperative care of offspring and labor division. They develop by paurometabolism and are classified in caste with specific tasks within the colony. The staple food of termites is cellulose, but its source varies according to the species. In natural vegetation areas, termites have got an important ecological role, participating actively in recycling and decomposition of nutrients in ecosystems they inhabit. Besides of the positive contribution in changing soil porosity and aeration. In urban areas, 10% of the species are taken as plagues, causing enormous losses, explicit in cost with prevention, control and repair. Damage caused by termites in urban areas are mainly attributed to the species: Cryptotermes brevis (Walker, 1853), Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann, 1896) and Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky, 1896). Therefore, identifying termites species that colonize urban households in the municipality of Seropédica, RJ, has been the objective of this study. Three urban neighbourhoods: Fazenda Caxias, Boa Esperança and Ecologia, were sampled. Building were inspectied and owners interviewed, totalling twelve residents per block in fifteen blocks per neighbourhood. Proportion of infested buildings with each species was made suing the χ2 test and the probability level, from which a comparison was considered significant, was equal to the risk probability at 5% divided by the number of comparisons. Of the total 540 inspections, 30% of the households had occurrence of termites of which 50% C. brevis, 42% C. gestroi and 8% N. corniger. Coexistence of species within a residence was found in only 3% of the inspected households. The occurrence of moisture spots in residences was found in 34% of the most infested households (44%) over the moisture spotless (22%). Infestation history in the past five years was recorded in 31% of the households and in general, residences with previous history, were more infested (58%) than the residences without history (17%). Generally, the infestation by termites takes place via exotic and native species, being the exotic species more relevant in colonization of the municipality residences. Occurrence of N. corniger has not been identified at Ecologia neighbourhood, which had greatest occurrence of C. gestroi in attacked residences. Buildings without moisture spots are predominantly infested by C. brevis. The species C. gestroi and C. brevis are the most seen in residences with infestation history, whilst residences without infestation are predominantly damaged by the species C. brevis.

Keywords

• termites, urban entomology, infestation.