Journal of Applied Entomology (2004) 128, 554-560

Ahlam A.M. Alfazairy (2004)
Antimicrobial activity of certain essential oils against hindgut symbionts of the drywood termite Kalotermes flavicollis Fabr. and prevalent fungi on termite-infested wood
Journal of Applied Entomology 128 (8), 554-560
Abstract: When the kalotermitid Kalotermes flavicollis Fabr. pseudergates exposed to Casuarina wood wafers treated separately with different concentrations (5, 15 and 30µl/2 g wood wafer) of the essential oils, their spirochaete and flagellate populations abnormally reduced in numbers and vigour. The lophomonadids Joenia sp. and Mesojoenia sp. were the most adversely affected flagellates followed by the polymastigid Foaina sp. and the trichomonadid Tricercomitus sp. The Taxodium distichum essential oil evidently appeared to have the greatest adverse effect on the flagellates (95-100% decline in numbers within 2-4 days) followed by the Eucalyptus citriodora (89-100%) and the Cupressus sempervirens oils (31-100%). While with the hindgut spirochaetes, the adverse effect seemed to be reversed where the E. citriodora essential oil had the greatest effect (54-100%) followed by C. sempervirens (46-100%) and T. distichum (8-100%) oils. Moreover, the essential oils were assayed for their antifungal activity, at 15, 20, 25, 30, and 50µl/1 ml acetone/15 ml Czapek-Dox medium, against isolates of four woodrotting fungi associated with Casuarina timber, Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Fusarium sp. and Mucor sp. by a method based on inhibition of the fungus growth on agar plates. E. citriodora exhibited the most potent fungicidal activity against the tested four fungi, followed by T. distichum oil. While the C. sempervirens essential oil appeared to have the least significant antifungal property.
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Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Kalotermes flavicollis