Térmitas são bem conhecidos por sua capacidade de danificar e destruir madeira e produtos derivados nos trópicos e subtrópicos. Um teste de campo foi realizado para avaliar as diferenças no consumo de madeira de Pinus sp. e de três espécies de Eucalyptus por térmitas subterrâneos. O teste consistiu de estacas de madeira de cada espécie, que foram inicialmente submetidas à imersão em água por 0, 24, 48 e 72 horas, e enterradas no solo para infestação natural por térmitas subterrâneos por um período de 30, 45 e 60 dias. Três espécies de térmitas subterrâneos foram identificadas: Heterotermes longiceps (Snyder), Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), e Nasutitermes jaraguae (Holmgren) (Isoptera:Termitidae). Este é o primeiro registro da ocorrência de H. longiceps no estado do Rio de Janeiro. Embora a taxa de consumo de madeira não se correlacionou significativamente com a densidade da madeira, houve uma tendência das madeiras macias (E. robusta e Pinus sp.) serem mais consumidas do que as madeiras duras (E. pellita e E. urophylla). Entre os eucaliptos, E. robusta mostrou ser mais susceptível ao ataque de térmitas subterrâneos do que E. pellita e E. urophylla.

Termites are well -known for their capacity to damage and destroy wood and wood products of all kinds in the tropics and subtropics. A field test was undertaken to evaluate variations in wood consumption of Pinus sp. and three species of Eucalyptus by subterranean termites. The test consisted of wooden stakes of each species being initially submitted to water immersion for 0, 24, 48 and 72 h, and buried in the ground to natural infestation by subterranean termites for an exposure period of 30, 45 and 60 days. Three species of subterranean termites were identified: Heterotermes longiceps (Snyder), Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae), and Nasutitermes jaraguae (Holmgren) (Isoptera: Termitidae). This is the first record of occurrence of H. longiceps in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Although the wood-consumption rates were not correlated significantly with their wood densities, there was a tendency of the softwoods (E. robusta and Pinus sp.) to be more consumed by subterranean termites than the woods of intermediate hardness (E. pellita and E. urophylla). Among the eucalyptus, E. robusta showed to be more susceptible to attack by subterranean termites than E. pellita and E. urophylla

ABSTRACT This study was performed with the aim of determining the “natural” wood preferences of subterranean termites (Isoptera) in a field feeding experiment, giving a choice between a control (Pinus sp.) and test woods: three species of Eucalyptus. Feeding preference order of subterranean termites was Pinus sp. > Eucalyptus robusta ≅ Eucalyptus urophylla > Eucalyptus pellita by the percentage of subterranean termite-damaged wooden stakes at 30-, 45-, and 60-day exposure periods in the field. Three species of subterranean termites were identified: Heterotermes longiceps (Snyder) (Rhinotermitidae), Coptotermes gestroi (Wasman) (Rhinotermitidae), and Nasutitermes jaraguae (Holmgren) (Termitidae). This is the first record of occurrence of H. longiceps in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Unidentified fungi species of Basidiomycetes infected the wood stakes of all forest species tested; although none of them were attacked by subterranean termites.