Why can the drywood termite, Incisitermes minor live only in the dry woods inside?

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25660144
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Wood science
• Research Institution: Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute
• Principal Investigator: OHMURA Wakako 独立行政法人森林総合研究所, 木材改質研究領域, 室長 (00343806)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TOKORO Masahiko 独立行政法人森林総合研究所, 森林昆虫研究領域, 室長 (70343796)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HARADA Masaki 独立行政法人森林総合研究所, 構造利用研究領域, 室長 (70370286)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 保存／文化財 / シロアリ / 昆虫／動物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Long-term temperature-humidity monitoring and the chemical analysis of the nest surface of a drywood termite, Incisitermes minor, were performed in order to clarify the characteristics of the nest environment. As a result, higher temperature resulted in accelerated its metabolism and increased the quantity of water transpiration from their body surface. Moreover, the cuticular hydrocarbons were detected from the wood surface of the nest, indicating the addition of water repellency to the nest surface. It is suggested that I. minor is able to survive inside the dry woods without supply of liquid water, so that I. minor might prevent dryness by keeping the humidity inside the nest higher, by transpiring moisture from the body surface and with water-shedding coating of the cuticular hydrocarbons to the nest surface inside.

Free Research Field

木材保存学