OPINION:
It’s not hurricanes and high water that is threatening Florida. It’s termites. Two of the most destructive species of the termite kingdom are now swarming simultaneously in South Florida - and scientists are worried. The Asian and Formosan subterranean termite clans are about to meet, mate and produce an unprecedented number of feisty hybrid offspring.
“Right now, we barely see the tip of the iceberg. But we know it’s a big one. Because a termite colony can live up to 20 years with millions of individuals, the damaging potential of a hybrid colony remains a serious threat to homeowners. This is especially true when the colony exhibits hybrid vigor as we witnessed in the laboratory.” says Nan-Yao Su, an entomology professor at the University of Florida in Fort Lauderdale, where a controlled colony was established to prove the two species were compatible.
The scientists previously thought the clans had distinct swarming seasons that prevented them from interacting. But that is not the case, and termite amour is in the air. The research reveals that the male Asian termites actually prefer to mate with Formosan females rather than females of their own species.
“This is worrisome, as the combination of genes between the two species results in highly vigorous hybridized colonies that can develop twice as fast as the two parental species,” says fellow researcher Thomas Chouvenc. “The establishment of hybrid termite populations is expected to result in dramatically increased damage to structures in the near future.”
He adds that if the hybridized colonies produce large numbers of fertile offspring, this “new termite menace could inherit the invasive qualities of both parental species and make its way out of Florida.”
The economic impact of previous termite damage has been assessed at $5 billion in the U.S. alone. Both the Asian and Formosan species already have spread. The Formosan, which originated in China, is now established throughout the southeastern United States. The Asian, a tropical species from Southeast Asia, has spread to Brazil and the Caribbean Islands, making it potentially the most invasive termite in the world, the researchers warn.
And what has caused the spread of species with such invasive potential? The researchers cite “habitat alteration and human transportation” and “mounting evidence that warming environments resulting from climate change can be an important factor contributing to such hybridization, either by altering the species distribution, or temporally shifting the mating season of species.”
The research was published by PLOS ONE, an academic journal.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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