A laboratory assay for measuring feeding and mortality of the marine wood borer Limnoria under forced feeding conditions: A basis for a standard test method

Quick simple testing methods are needed to evaluate alternative wood materials for marine construction because traditional borer resistant materials are becoming scarce or are no longer permitted due to concerns over environmental emissions of preservatives. Laboratory tests can provide species-specific information on rates of wood biodeterioration by wood borers under optimum conditions, in contrast to field trials where more than one borer species may be present and conditions are variable.The methodology described herein relies on the assumption that faecal pellet production rate in limnoriids must match feeding rate quite closely. Thus, the number of faecal pellets produced by individual specimens of Limnoria quadripunctata, while feeding on a non-durable and non-toxic wood species – Pinus sylvestris sapwood – in different test conditions, was monitored over a period of 15 days. Mortality and moulting were also registered. Several variables likely to affect survival and feeding rates were investigated in order to optimise the test conditions. Temperature and salinity regime affected both survival and feeding rates while moulting cycle affected feeding rates.The optimisation of this test methodology aims to provide the basis for a standard laboratory test with the wood-boring crustacean Limnoria.