Well-established populations of the western drywood termite, Incisitermes minor (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae), in Korea

Abstract

Incisitermes minor (Hagen), the western drywood termite, is an important structural pest in the US and has been introduced into other states such as Louisiana, Florida, and other countries as invasive species. Because of the cryptic nature of drywood termites, they can infest a piece of wood and can unintentionally be moved to different places on wooden materials such as in furniture. Recently, a drywood termite alate was collected by a citizen in Changwon, Republic of Korea, which has raised concerns if drywood termites were established in the nearby area. In order to initiate the management program, obtaining distribution range of the invasive drywood termite was necessary. Therefore, in this study, we surveyed the surrounding area within a 1 km radius from the initial alate collection site to detect any signs of drywood termite infestations and any active termite colony. Our morphological identification and molecular analysis using COI, COII, and 16s RNA confirmed that the collected termites were I. minor, and 16s RNA matched with I. minor from Japan and the USA. We found infestations in multiple structures in the surveyed area and a gazebo in the park that was heavily infested by I. minor, indicating that I. minor can overwinter in southern Korea. Due to the economic importance of I. minor, a management plan to prevent further spread and to minimize damage caused by I. minor is needed in Korea.