Detection of wood boring insects by measurement of oxygen consumption

A possible method for detection of wood-boring insects in wood is the measurement of oxygen consumption. In order to develop such a method, several parameters have to be determined first. The most important one is to determine the respiration rate of possible pest species. To obtain the data for establishing the method mentioned above, the respiration rates of the following species were determined: the old house borer, Hylotrupes bajulus, common furniture beetle, Anobium punctatum and subterranean termite, Reticulitermes lucifugus. We compared the O₂ consumption between different species as well as between adults and larvae of one species in different environmental conditions (temperature, day/night and light/dark regime). The most intensive respiration rates were found for the larvae of Hylotrupes bajulus (4.0 ml/g h O₂) and Anobium punctatum (3.9 ml/g h O₂). Less intensive breathing was measured by Reticulitermes lucifugus (workers 2.9 ml/g h, nymphs 2.6 ml/g.h and soldiers 2.0 ml/g h O₂). These results indicate that it is possible to detect the presence of wood-boring insects respirometrically. To detect the presence of an individual insect in the wood by means of respirometry, the sensitivity of the instrument for oxygen measurement at the optimal conditions must be around 0.2 ml/h.