Agricultural Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Paramakudi, Ramanathapuram District-623 707, Tamil Nadu (India).
*Present address: Department of Entomology, Horticultural College & Research Institute, Periyakulam-626 501, Madurai District, Tamil Nadu (India).
Foraging behaviour of the harvester termite, Anacanthotermes viarum (Koenig) (Hodotermitidae: Isoptera) causing severe damage to the rice crop under rainfed conditions in Ramanathapuram District, Tamil Nadu (India) was studied. Harvester termite was found to forage on graminaceous and fabaceous plants. Field trials were conducted to evolve management practices to curtail the damage caused by the termite. Fenvelerate 0.4D, carbaryl 1.5 D and quinalphos 1.5 D @ 50 kg/ha controlled the termite effectively. In another trial, chopped paddy straw (100 kg/ha) treated with BHC 10 D (25 kg/ha) when applied in plots revealed maximum control.
