Entomology: Personnel

Entomology Faculty

Brian T. Forschler Professor of Entomology Athens Campus Ph.D., University of Georgia, 1990 Contact Information Address: Department of Entomology University of Georgia 413 Biological Sciences Building Athens, GA 30602-2603 Phone: (706) 542-2816 Email: bfor@uga.edu

I am Principal Investigator for the Household and Structural Entomology research program. My research program has involved aspects of the biology and control of subterranean termites and Argentine ant. Recent studies have included termite response to termiticide soil barriers containing gaps of untreated soil, estimations of territory size, foraging populations and wood consumption rates for three different subterranean termite species in the field, termite acceptance of potential artificial bait substrates, and control of Argentine ant utilizing containerized ant baits in a perimeter treatment strategy.

Current research includes laboratory evaluations of termite behavior, field efficacy of several termite baits, new chemistries for novel termite control tactics, and determination of subterranean termite social structure using agonism, morphological characters, cuticular hydrocarbon analysis and genetic markers.

Selected Publications

Forschler, B. T. 1994. Fluorescent spray paint as a topical marker on subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Sociobiology 24: 27-38.   PDF file

Forschler, B. T. 1994. Survivorship and tunneling activity of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in response to termiticide soil barriers with and without gaps of untreated soil. Journal of Entomological Science 29: 43-54.   PDF file

Forschler, B. T. and G. Henderson. 1995. Subterranean termite behavioral reaction to water and survival of inundation: implications for field populations. Environmental Entomology 24: 1592-1597.   PDF file

Forschler, B. T. 1996. Incidence of feeding by the eastern subterrandean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in laboratory bioassay. Sociobiology 28: 265-273.   PDF file

Forschler, B. T. and M. L. Townsend. 1996. Mortality of eastern subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) exposed to four soils treated with termiticides. Journal of Economic Entomology 89: 678-681.  PDF file

Forschler, B. T. 1996. Baiting Reticulitermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) field colonies with abamectin and zinc borate-treated cellulose in Georgia. Sociobiology 28: 459-484.   PDF file

Forschler, B. T. and M. L. Townsend. 1996. Mark-release-recapture estimates of Reticulitermes spp. (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) colony foraging populations from Georgia, U.S.A. Environmental Entomology 25: 952-962.  PDF file

Polizzi, J. M. and B. T. Forschler. 1998. Intra- and interspecific agonism in Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) and R. virginicus (Banks) and effects of arena and group size in laboratory assays. Insectes Sociaux 45: 43-49. PDF file

Forschler, B. T. 1998. Subterranean termite biology in relation to prevention and removal of structural infestation. In NPCA Research Report on Subterranean Termites, pp. 31-51. NPCA, Dunn Loring, VA.  

Polizzi, J. M. and B. T. Forschler. 1999. Lack of preference by Reticulitermes spp. (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) for termite feeding stations with previous termite exposure. Journal of Agricultural Urban Entomology 16: 197-205.  PDF file

Jenkins, T. M., C. J. Basten, S. Kresovich, and B. T. Forschler. 1999. Mitochondrial gene sequence questions Reticulitermes sp. social structure (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Sociobiology 34: 161-170.   PDF file

Forschler, B. T. and T. M. Jenkins. 1999. Evaluation of subterranean termite biology using genetic, chemotaxonomic, and morphometric markers and ecological data: a testimonial for multidisciplinary efforts. Trends in Entomology 2: 72-80.  PDF file

Forschler, B. T. and W. H. Robinson. 1999. Ants and subterranean termites in the urban environment: the terminology of population management control tactics. Proc. 3rd International Conf. on Urban Pests (W.H. Robinson, F. Rettich and G.W. Rambo, eds.), pp. 589-595. Executive Committee of the International Conference on Urban Pests. Graficke zavocy Hronov, Prague, Czech Republic.  PDF file

Polizzi, J. M. and B. T. Forschler. 1999. Factors that affect aggression among the worker caste of Reticulitermes spp. subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 12: 133-146.  PDF file

Forschler, B. T., J. Harron and T. M. Jenkins. 2000. Case histories involving the Formosan subterranean termite in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Sociobiology 37: 311-322.  PDF file

Thorne, B. L. and B. T. Forschler. 2000. Criteria for assessing efficacy of stand-alone termite bait treatments at structures. Sociobiology 36: 245-255.  PDF file

Forschler, B. T. and T. M. Jenkins. 2000. Subterranean termites in the urban landscape: Understanding their social structure is the key to successfully implementing population management using bait technology. Urban Ecosystems 4: 233-253.

Jenkins, T. M., M. I. Haverty, C. J. Basten, L. J. Nelson, M. Page, and B. T. Forschler. 2000. Correlation of mitochondrial haplotypes with cuticular hydrocarbon phenotypes of sympatric Reticulitermes species from the southeastern United States. Journal of Chemical Ecology 26: 1525-1542.  PDF file

Pitts-Singer, T. L. and B. T. Forschler. 2000. Influence of guidelines and passageways on tunneling behavior of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) and R. virginicus (Banks) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 13: 273-290.   PDF file

Jenkins, T. M., R. E. Dean, R. Verkerk, and B. T. Forschler. 2001. Phylogenetic analyses of two mitochondrial genes and one nuclear intron region illuminate European subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) gene flow, taxonomy, and introduction dynamics. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 20: 286-293.   PDF file

Scheffrahn, R. H., N-Y. Su, J. A. Chase, and B. T. Forschler. 2001. New termite (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae) records from Georgia. Journal of Entomological Science 36: 109-113.   PDF file

Forschler, B. T. 2003. Introduction to the symposium on IPM in urban entomology.
Journal of Entomological Science 38: 149-150.  PDF file

Whitman, J. G. and B. T. Forschler. 2007. Observational notes on short-lived and infrequent behaviors dislayed by Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Annals of Entomological Society of America 100: 763-771.   PDF file

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