Resource density regulates the foraging investment in higher termite species

AbstractOrganisms are typically characterized by a trade-off between fecundity and longevity. Notable exceptions are social insects. In insect colonies, the reproducing caste (queens) outlive their non-reproducing nestmate workers by orders of magnitude and realize fecundities and lifespans unparalleled among insects. How this is achieved is not understood. Here, we identified a single module of co-expressed genes that characterized queens in the termite species Cryptotermes secundus. It encompassed genes from all essential pathways known to be involved in life-history regulation in solitary model organisms. By manipulating its endocrine component, we tested the recent hypothesis that re-wiring along the nutrient-sensing/endocrine/fecundity axis can account for the reversal of the fecundity/longevity trade-off in social insect queens. Our data from termites do not support this hypothesis. However, they revealed striking links to social communication that offer new avenues to understand the re-modelling of the fecundity/longevity trade-off in social insects.

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Concentration-Dependent Feeding Deterrence to 20-Hydroxyecdysone for Three Subterranean Termite Species (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae)

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12030218 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 218

Author(s):

Lucas Carnohan ◽

Sang-Bin Lee ◽

Nan-Yao Su

Keyword(s):

Reticulitermes Flavipes ◽

Coptotermes Formosanus ◽

Subterranean Termite ◽

Choice Test ◽

Molting Hormone ◽

Feeding Deterrence ◽

Insect Feeding ◽

Substrate Consumption ◽

Termite Species ◽

Potential Methods

Effective active ingredients in toxicant bait formulations must be non-deterrent to insect feeding behavior at lethal concentrations. This study evaluated feeding deterrence for Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, C. gestroi (Wasmann), and Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) when provided access to cellulose impregnated with various concentrations of the insect molting hormone, 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). Termites were exposed to 20E concentrations of 200, 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm and to noviflumuron at 5000 ppm in a 24 h choice-test, and the mass of substrate consumption from treated and untreated media pads was compared for each treatment. 20E feeding deterrence was detected at 500, 1000 and 2000 ppm for C. gestroi, and at 2000 ppm for C. formosanus. No significant differences in consumption of treated and untreated substrate was detected at any concentration for R. flavipes. Potential methods for reducing deterrence are discussed.

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Cryptotermes camelus (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae), a new drywood termite species from the Bolivian Chaco

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4938.1.9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4938 (1) ◽

pp. 145-147

Author(s):

RUDOLF H. SCHEFFRAHN

Keyword(s):

Exotic Species ◽

New World ◽

Caribbean Basin ◽

Termite Species ◽

The Third ◽

Number Of Species ◽

Asian Species ◽

The Caribbean

Cryptotermes Banks, 1906 is the third most diverse kalotermitid genus worldwide after Glyptotermes Froggatt, 1897 and Neotermes Holmgren, 1911, with its greatest diversity found in the Neotropics (Krishna et al. 2013a). Furthermore, the greatest number of species of Cryptotermes are known from the Caribbean Basin (Scheffrahn & Křeček 1999, Casala et al. 2016, Scheffrahn 2019). Although Araujo (1977) and Bacchus (1987) list Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland, 1898) from Trinidad (treated as mainland) and Panama, respectively, Scheffrahn & Křeček (1999) and Scheffrahn et al. (2009) doubt the existence of this Asian species in the New World. Without C. domesticus, the total extant Neotropical diversity of Cryptotermes is 29 endemic and three exotic species (Constantino 2020).

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Frequência, diversidade e composição da fauna de cupins (Blattodea: Isoptera) em diferentes sistemas de uso do solo no sudoeste do Amazonas, Brasil

EntomoBrasilis ◽

10.12741/ebrasilis.v11i2.729 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 78-84 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Agno Nonato Serrão Acioli

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Species Richness ◽

Oil Palm ◽

Elaeis Guineensis ◽

Taxonomic Composition ◽

Primary Forest ◽

Agricultural Crops ◽

Termite Species ◽

Land Use Systems ◽

Elaeis Guineensis Jacq

Resumo. Os cupins são importantes decompositores da matéria de origem vegetal. Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar e comparar a diversidade e composição das espécies de cupins em três diferentes sistemas de uso do solo na região do Alto Solimões, Amazonas, Brasil. Os cupins foram coletados na floresta primária, em cultivos de dendê (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) e mandioca (Manihot sculenta Crantz). Em cada área selecionada as coletas foram realizadas dentro de um transecto retangular medindo 100 m x 2 m, subdivididos em 20 parcelas de 5 m x 2 m. Foram encontradas 24 espécies de cupins, pertencentes a 14 gêneros e duas famílias, nos três sistemas de uso do solo. As espécies mais frequentes foram Nasutitermes cf. dendrophilus (Desneux) (28,43%), seguida de Heterotermes tenuis (Hagen) (14,37%) e Anoplotermes sp. 2 (9,58%). A riqueza de espécies foi maior na floresta primária (16 espécies), seguida dos cultivos de dendê (14 espécies) e mandioca (seis espécies). A composição taxonômica e os grupos funcionais também sofreram modificações, sendo mais diversificados e equilibrados na floresta primária quando comparados com os dois tipos de cultivos. A comunidade de cupins é fortemente afetada quando ocorre a substituição da floresta primária pelos cultivos agrícolas. Neste estudo, as espécies N. cf. dendrophilus e H. tenuis merecem atenção, pois se constata o aumento de sua frequência nos cultivos de dendê e mandioca.Frequency, Diversity and Composition of Termite Fauna (Blattodea: Isoptera) in Land Use Systems in the Southwest of Amazonas, Brazil Abstract. Termites are important decomposers of matter of vegetable origin. This study aims to analyze and compare the diversity and composition of termite species in three different land use systems in Alto Solimões, Amazonas, Brazil. Termites were collected in the primary forest, oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) and cassava (Manihot sculenta Crantz) crops. In each area the collections were made within a rectangular transect measuring 100 m x 2 m, subdivided into 20 plots of 5 m x 2 m. Twenty four species of termites were found, belonging to 14 genera and two families. The most frequent species were Nasutitermes cf. dendrophilus (Desneux) (28.43%), Heterotermes tenuis (Hagen) (14.37%) and Anoplotermes sp. 2 (9.58%). The species richness was higher in the primary forest (16 species), followed by oil palm (14 species) and cassava (six species) crops. The taxonomic composition and the functional groups were also modified, being more diversified and balanced in the primary forest than in the crops. The termite community was strongly affected when the primary forest was replaced by agricultural crops. The species N. cf. dendrophilus and H. tenuis deserve attention, it was verified the increase of their frequency in the crops.

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Use of the proteomic tool MALDI-TOF MS in termite identification

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-04574-0 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Bouthaina Hasnaoui ◽

Adama Zan Diarra ◽

Jean-Michel Berenger ◽

Hacène Medkour ◽

Ahmed Benakhla ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ionization Mass ◽

Laser Desorption Ionization ◽

Termite Species ◽

Maldi Tof Ms ◽

Maldi Tof ◽

Promising Tool ◽

Macrotermes Bellicosus ◽

Amitermes Evuncifer ◽

Macrotermes Herus ◽

Tof Ms

AbstractMatrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has proved effective for the identification of many arthropods. A total of 432 termite specimens were collected in Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Togo, Senegal, Switzerland and France. Morphologically, 22 species were identified, including Ancistrotermes cavithorax, Amitermes evuncifer, Cryptotermes brevis, Cubitermes orthognathus, Kalotermes flavicollis, Macrotermes bellicosus, Macrotermes herus, Macrotermes ivorensis, Macrotermes subhyalinus, Microcerotermes parvus, Microtermes sp., Odontotermes latericius, Procubitermes sjostedti, Promirotermes holmgreni, Reticulitermes grassei, Reticulitermes lucifugus, Reticulitermes santonensis, Trinervitermes geminatus, Trinervitermes occidentalis, Trinervitermes togoensis, Trinervitermes sp., Trinervitermes trinervoides and Trinervitermes trinervius. Analysis of MALDI-TOF MS spectra profiles from termites revealed that all were of high quality, with intra-species reproducibility and inter-species specificity. Blind testing of the spectra of 389 termites against our updated database with the spectra of 43 specimens of different termite species revealed that all were correctly identified with log score values (LSVs) ranging from 1.65 to 2.851, mean 2.290 ± 0.225, median 2.299, and 98.4% (383) had LSVs > 1.8. This study is the first on the use of MALDI-TOF for termite identification and shows its importance as a tool for arthropod taxonomy and reinforces the idea that MALDI-TOF MS is a promising tool in the field of entomology.

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The evolution of body size in termites

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2021.1458 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 288 (1963) ◽

Author(s):

Nobuaki Mizumoto ◽

Thomas Bourguignon

Keyword(s):

Body Size ◽

Size Reduction ◽

Head Width ◽

Termite Species ◽

Fossil Species ◽

Modern Species ◽

Size Evolution ◽

Phylogenetic Framework ◽

Size Variability ◽

Width Measurements

Termites are social cockroaches. Because non-termite cockroaches are larger than basal termite lineages, which themselves include large termite species, it has been proposed that termites experienced a unidirectional body size reduction since they evolved eusociality. However, the validity of this hypothesis remains untested in a phylogenetic framework. Here, we reconstructed termite body size evolution using head width measurements of 1638 modern and fossil termite species. We found that the unidirectional body size reduction model was only supported by analyses excluding fossil species. Analyses including fossil species suggested that body size diversified along with speciation events and estimated that the size of the common ancestor of modern termites was comparable to that of modern species. Our analyses further revealed that body size variability among species, but not body size reduction, is associated with features attributed to advanced termite societies. Our results suggest that miniaturization took place at the origin of termites, while subsequent complexification of termite societies did not lead to further body size reduction.

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First record of Speculitermes chadaensis Chatterjee & Thapa, 1964 (Isoptera: Termitidae) from the Western Ghats, India

Journal of Threatened Taxa ◽

10.11609/jott.2933.8.7.9042-9044 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 9042

Author(s):

Poovoli Amina ◽

K. Rajmohana ◽

K. V. Bhavana

Keyword(s):

Western Ghats ◽

First Record ◽

Distribution Map ◽

Termite Species ◽

First Time ◽

The Western Ghats

Speculitermes chadaensis Chatterjee & Thapa, 1964, a termite species under Termitidae family is reported for the first time from the Western Ghats. A distribution map of the species is also provided.

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Relative occurrence of the family Kalotermitidae (Isoptera) under different termite sampling methods

Sociobiology ◽

10.13102/sociobiology.v65i1.2097 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 65 (1) ◽

pp. 88 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Rudolf H Scheffrahn ◽

James A Chase ◽

John R. Mangold ◽

Henry H Hochmair

Keyword(s):

Sampling Methods ◽

Light Trapping ◽

Light Trap ◽

Habitat Type ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Field Studies ◽

Survey Method ◽

Termite Species ◽

Expert Survey ◽

Abundance And Diversity

The termite family Kalotermitidae constitutes a wood-nesting termite family that accounts for about 15% of all extant termite species. In recent decades, field studies have been carried out to assess termite diversity in various wooded habitats and geographic locations. Three sampling methods have been favored expert, transect, and alate light-trap surveys. Expert collecting is not spatially quantifiable but relies on field personnel to recognize and sample termite niches. The transect method aims to standardize and quantify termite abundance and diversity. Light trapping is a passive method for sampling nocturnal alate flights. We compared our expert survey results and results of published sampling methods for their proportional yields of kalotermitid versus non-kalotermitid encounters. Using an odds ratio statistic, we found that worldwide, there is about a 50.6-fold greater likelihood of encountering a kalotermitid sample versus a non-kalotermitid using the expert survey method and a 15.3-fold greater likelihood using alate trapping than using the transect method. There is about a 3.3 -fold greater likelihood of collecting a kalotermitid specimen versus a non-kalotermitid sample using the expert survey method than using the alate trap method. Transect studies in which only termite species diversity was reported gave similar low Kalotermitidae yields. We propose that multiple biases in sampling methodology include tools, time constraints, habitat type, geographical location, topographical conditions, and human traits account for the divergent outcomes in sampling the abundance and diversity of Kalotermitidae compared to other termite families.

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