Flight Speed of Tethered Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) Alates |
| |
Authors: | Thomas G. Shelton X. Ping Hu Arthur G. Appel Terence L. Wagner |
| |
Affiliation: | (1) USDA Forest Service, SRS-4502, 201 Lincoln Green, Starkville, Mississippi 39759, USA;(2) Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University, 301 Funchess Hall, Auburn, Alabama 36849-5413, USA |
| |
Abstract: | Alates of the Eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) were collected over two flight seasons (2002 and 2004) and flown on flight mills. Data were collected to test if alate mass, colony origin, or gender influenced flight speed. Flight speed ranged from 3.14 to 69.12 cm s−1 and the maximum distance flown by an alate was 458.3 m. Alate mass (P = 0.9406), gender (P = 0.3976), colony origin (P = 0.1244), and the interaction of gender and colony (P = 0.7093) did not significantly influence flight speed. Additionally, an electronic counting device was used to provide instantaneous flight speeds and allowed flight speed to be modeled during acceleration, cruising, and deceleration periods of flight. Mean (±SEM) flight speeds in 2004 were 20.64 (±2.21) cm s−1 (n = 13) for males and 17.76 cm s−1 (n = 1) for the single female flown, falling within the range of the 2002 values. |
| |
Keywords: | insect flight termites Reticulitermes flavipes flight speed mass scaling alate |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|