Nutritional preferences of wood-feeding termites inhabiting floodplain forests of the Amazon River, Brazil

Abstract

The alimentary preferences of five species of wood-feeding termites of the genus Nasutitermes that coexist in the inundated forests of the floodplains of the Amazon river várzea for species of fresh wood and for wood in different stages of decomposition was evaluated in laboratory tests. Wood of low density was generally preferred; the decay stages were preferred over fresh wood. The five termite species differ in the amplitude of their choices, indicating a strong differentiation in food choice among them. Differences in feeding preferences may be a niche-separating factor for these five Nasutitermes species of the floodplains.