New Discovery Of Parasitic Fly That Kills Termites

[Martin Coleman]

Penang, Malaysia 23-7-09

"Misortermes mindeni"- parasitic to termites and new species dicovery

Parasitized Macrotermes gilvus soldier (left) by fly Misotermes mindeni, versus the normal soldier (right). Notice the larger head and the smaller mandibles in the parasitized soldier

Researchers in Malaysia have found a new scuttle fly species in Penang, that is parasitic to termites. Although the research is still in its early stages, this new species may have the potential to be a biological agent in controlling termite infestation.

The species has been named Misotermes mindeni, after the university campus where it was discovered and their findings have been published in the latest issue of Sociobiology.

Mr Kok-Boon Neoh, a Ph.D. student under the supervision of Prof Chow-Yang Lee of the Urban Entomology Laboratory, Vector Control Research Unit, School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia made this discovery while he was studying termite (Macrotermes gilvus) population mounds in the Minden campus of Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) scientists will study how a new species of scuttle fly found in its Minden campus, named "Misotermes mindeni", could have a role in managing termite infestation in future.

According to a researcher, Prof Lee Chow Yang from the Urban Entomology Laboratory, Vector Control Research Unit, School of Biological Sciences, the study would be conducted following the discovery of the fly being parasitic to termites by his PhD student, Neoh Kok Boon, last year.

Unveiling the discovery to reporters, he said, Neoh discovered the fly while he was studying termite population structures in "Macrotermes gilvus" mounds in the Minden Campus.

"Neoh first found some strange-looking termite soldiers that looked different from the normal ones because they have large heads but small mandibles and took them back to the laboratory for observation.

"He was surprised to observe some strange movements in the abdominal section of the termites and after a couple of days, the soldiers died and subsequently small flies emerged out from the termite bodies," he said.

Lee said the flies were eventually sent to Dr Henry Disney, a world-authority on phorid flies at Cambridge University for identification whom later identified the fly to be a new species to science.

He added that this new discovery was published recently in the latest issue of Sociobiology and the fly was named "Misortermes mindeni" to reflect the USM Minden campus where it was discovered.

Meanwhile, Neoh speculated that the fly infected the immature termites based on observation of fly larva in the young insect but the mechanism of parasitism was yet to be determined.

"The larva will then move to the termite's abdomen, contracts intensively and applies sideway pressure by using its spiracles to break the termite's abdominal wall. The body fluid will ooze out of the wall perforation and the termite will die. A dry micro-environment is created to enable the fly larva to pupate inside its host's body," he added.

He said at this stage, he was unable to confirm whether this fly would have a role in managing termite infestation and a further research would be needed.

According to Lee, the amount spent by Malaysians for termite management amounting to RM50 million each year but the cost of repair for termite damages was estimated to be three to four times higher than the control cost and at this moment, chemical method remained the only and most effective way to manage termite infestation thus far.

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