The effects of natural preconditioning (source wood), wood species, and previous exposure of wood to two types of fungi on the feeding rates and protozoa survival in the Pacific dampwood termite Zootermopsis angusticollis (Isoptera: Termospidae) were examined under laboratory conditions. Termites were exposed to four wood species that had been treated previously with a non-wood decay fungus or a wood decay fungus for various lengths of time, or were untreated. Termite feeding was measured in forced feeding and choice feeding tests, after which two types of gut protozoa (Trichomitopsis spp. and Trichonympha spp.) were counted. Wood species and previous fungal exposure both affected consumption rates and protozoa numbers in Z. angusticollis. The results indicated that pre-conditioning did not affect the amount of wood consumed or protozoa numbers in forced feeding tests, but sometimes affected protozoa numbers in choice feeding tests. Exposure of various conifer woods to an early colonizing white rot fungus, Stereum sanguinolentum, affected how much wood of a particular species was consumed by dampwood termites in both forced and choice feeding tests. Exposure of these woods to a non-wood decay fungus, Trichoderma viride, had little effect on wood consumption but did affect the numbers of one type of gut protozoan, Trichoniitopsis, in choice testing. / Graduation date: 1993

Thesis (M.Sc.)(Plant Science))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.