Abstract:  【Aim】 This study aims to clarify the relationship between the foraging population size and body length of workers of the black-winged termite, Odontotermes formosanus, so as to lay a foundation for ecological studies and area-wide termite management. 【Methods】 Five test sites abundant with O. formosanus termites in Hangzhou Botanical Garden were selected. Worker termites were captured and labeled with neutral red. The foraging population size of O. formosanus colony at each test site was determined by capture-mark-release-recapture experiments. 【Results】 The capture-mark-release-recapture experiments were successfully implemented at four of the five test sites. The foraging population sizes of O. formosanus colonies of the four test sites were 443 133±45 469, 495 360±67429, 674 345±101 703 and 1 224 462±93 112, respectively. A positive correlation was found between the foraging population size in O. formosanus colonies (Y) and the body length of workers (X), which fitted the exponential function, Y=1.8389e^0.7185X (R²=0.7834). 【Conclusion】 This study clarified the functional relationship between the foraging population size and body length of workers of O. formosanus, providing basic data for areawide termite management strategy.

Key words: Odontotermes formosanus, foraging population size, worker termite, body length, mark-recapture method