Surface and Subsurface Foraging Activity of Subterranean Sand Termite, Psammotermes hybostoma, Desneux (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) at El-Fayoum Governorate, Egypt

Surface and subsurface foraging activity of the subterranean termite, Psammotermes hybostoma Desneux (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) was examined for one year extended from October 2018 until September 2019 at El-Fayoum district, El-Fayoum governorate, Egypt. The surface foraging activity was estimated using a perforated plastic rectangular box trap, while subsurface foraging activity was determined using a new design column trap (300 cm height, and 7.2 cm diameter). The column trap was divided into five levels with suitable barriers of reinforced cork. Results showed that food consumption, was the lowest during winter (13.23 g./trap/m 2 ), while it was the highest during spring (76.1 g./trap/m 2 ). Changes in soil translocation were almost similar to those previously mentioned for food consumption. The highest seasonal means of subsurface food consumption was 1806.92 g./5 column traps during autumn throughout the four levels, while the lowest seasonal means was occurred during spring (1019.15 g./5 column traps). The total annual food consumption increased gradually from 2921.34 g./5 column traps at the first level to 8533.82 g./5 column traps at the fourth one, then it decreased slightly to (7383.22 g./5 column traps) at the fifth level. The total annual number of captured workers increased gradually from the first level (98148 workers/5 column traps) reach the peak at the third level (164178 workers/5 column traps), then it decreased gradually from the fourth level (144636 workers/5 column traps) to the 5 th level (107874 workers/5 column traps).