Specific behaviour of soldiers towards reproductives of termite genus Prorhinotermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).

Soldier caste is the oldest altruistic caste in termites, highly specialized for defensive tasks. Therefore, a number of adaptations in anatomy and behaviour can be observed in soldier, lacking in other termite castes. The aim of this study was to verify the hypothesis that in disturbed groups the soldiers will prefer to stand by and defend the reproductives, the most valuable individuals. Therefore, I studied in two species of the genus Prorhinotermes (P. simplex and P. canalifrons) the ability of soldiers to discriminate neotenic reproductives and provide them with defence. In agreement with the initial hypothesis, the soldiers of both species prooved to be able of an instantaneous recognition of reproductives and remained close to them. In P. simplex, the neotenic female was the most attractive individual, while in P. canalifrons, neotenics of both sexes were equally attractive. The observed preference of reproductives appears to occur only with a certain age of the reproductives in incipient colonies, along with their sexual maturation. Caste specificity of cuticular lipids supports the presumption that the caste recognition is based on olphactoric cues in the cuticle of reproductives

Nest-mate recognition in termites

Department of ZoologyKatedra zoologieFaculty of SciencePřírodovědecká fakult

Specific behaviour of soldiers towards reproductives of termite genus Prorhinotermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).

Soldier caste is the oldest altruistic caste in termites, highly specialized for defensive tasks. Therefore, a number of adaptations in anatomy and behaviour can be observed in soldier, lacking in other termite castes. The aim of this study was to verify the hypothesis that in disturbed groups the soldiers will prefer to stand by and defend the reproductives, the most valuable individuals. Therefore, I studied in two species of the genus Prorhinotermes (P. simplex and P. canalifrons) the ability of soldiers to discriminate neotenic reproductives and provide them with defence. In agreement with the initial hypothesis, the soldiers of both species prooved to be able of an instantaneous recognition of reproductives and remained close to them. In P. simplex, the neotenic female was the most attractive individual, while in P. canalifrons, neotenics of both sexes were equally attractive. The observed preference of reproductives appears to occur only with a certain age of the reproductives in incipient colonies, along with their sexual maturation. Caste specificity of cuticular lipids supports the presumption that the caste recognition is based on olphactoric cues in the cuticle of reproductives

Widespread occurrence of asexual reproduction in higher termites of the Termes group (Termitidae: Termitinae)

Abstract Background A decade ago, the mixed reproductive strategy Asexual Queen Succession (AQS) was first described in termites. In AQS species, the workers, soldiers and dispersing reproductives are produced through sexual reproduction, while non-dispersing (neotenic) queens arise through automictic thelytokous parthenogenesis, replace the founding queen and mate with the founding king. As yet, AQS has been documented in six species from three lineages of lower (Rhinotermitidae) and higher (Termitinae: Termes group and Syntermitinae) termites. Independent evolution of the capacity of thelytoky as a preadaptation to AQS is supported by different mechanisms of automixis in each of the three clades. These pioneering discoveries prompt the question on the extent of thelytoky and AQS in the diversified family of higher termites. Results Here, we investigated the capacity of thelytoky and occurrence of AQS in three species from the phylogenetic proximity of the neotropical AQS species Cavitermes tuberosus (Termitinae: Termes group): Palmitermes impostor, Spinitermes trispinosus, and Inquilinitermes inquilinus. We show that queens of all three species are able to lay unfertilized eggs, which undergo thelytokous parthenogenesis (via gamete duplication as in C. tuberosus) and develop through the transitional stage of aspirants into replacement neotenic queens. Conclusions The breeding system in P. impostor is very reminiscent of that described in C. tuberosus and can be characterized as AQS. In the remaining two species, our limited data do not allow classifying the breeding system as AQS; yet, also in these species the thelytokous production of neotenic females appears to be a systematic element of reproductive strategies. It appears likely that the capacity of thelytokous parthenogenesis evolved once in the Termes group, and may ultimately be found more widely, well beyond these Neotropical species

Embiratermes neotenicus COI haplotypes

Cytochrome oxidase I (COI) unique haplotypes for Embiratermes neotenicus samples. Sequence ID, country, specimen voucher and GenBank accession number are indicated

Asexual queen succession in the higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus

Asexual queen succession (AQS), in which workers, soldiers and dispersing reproductives are produced sexually while numerous non-dispersing queens arise through thelytokous parthenogenesis, has recently been described in three species of lower termites of the genus Reticulitermes. Here, we show that AQS is not an oddity restricted to a single genus of lower termites, but a more widespread strategy occurring also in the most advanced termite group, the higher termites (Termitidae). We analysed the genetic structure in 10 colonies of the Neotropical higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus (Syntermitinae) using five newly developed polymorphic microsatellite loci. The colonies contained one primary king accompanied either by a single primary queen or by up to almost 200 neotenic queens. While the workers, the soldiers and most future dispersing reproductives were produced sexually, the nondispersing neotenic queens originated through thelytokous parthenogenesis of the founding primary queen. Surprisingly, the mode of thelytoky observed in E. neotenicus is most probably automixis with central fusion, contrasting with the automixis with terminal fusion documented in Reticulitermes. The occurrence of AQS based on different mechanisms of ploidy restoration raises the hypothesis of an independent evolutionary origin of this unique reproductive strategy in individual lineages of lower and higher termites.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Data from: Asexual queen succession in the higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus

Asexual queen succession (AQS), in which workers, soldiers and dispersing reproductives are produced sexually while numerous non-dispersing queens arise through thelytokous parthenogenesis, has recently been described in three species of lower termites of the genus Reticulitermes. Here, we show that AQS is not an oddity restricted to a single genus of lower termites, but a more widespread strategy occurring also in the most advanced termite group, the higher termites (Termitidae). We analysed the genetic structure in 10 colonies of the Neotropical higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus (Syntermitinae) using five newly developed polymorphic microsatellite loci. The colonies contained one primary king accompanied either by a single primary queen or by up to almost 200 neotenic queens. While the workers, the soldiers and most future dispersing reproductives were produced sexually, the non-dispersing neotenic queens originated through thelytokous parthenogenesis of the founding primary queen. Surprisingly, the mode of thelytoky observed in E. neotenicus is most probably automixis with central fusion, contrasting with the automixis with terminal fusion documented in Reticulitermes. The occurrence of AQS based on different mechanisms of ploidy restoration raises the hypothesis of an independent evolutionary origin of this unique reproductive strategy in individual lineages of lower and higher termites

Dispersal and mating strategies in two neotropical soil-feeding termites, Embiratermes neotenicus and Silvestritermes minutus (Termitidae, Syntermitinae)

Colony breeding systems and dispersal strategies of eusocial insects shape the genetic structure at the colony, but also at the population level. Most of the few molecular studies dedicated to termites suggest that winged reproductives disperse far enough to secure the formation of outbred founding pairs. However, these studies almost exclusively focused on wood-feeding termites and knowledge about the dispersal potential of winged reproductives is missing for soil-feeding termites. We investigated the dispersal and mating strategies of Embiratermes neotenicus and Silvestritermes minutus (Termitidae, Syntermitinae), two very abundant soil-feeding species from the Neotropics. In both species, analysis of microsatellite markers indicated low genetic similarity between closely located colonies and low genetic differentiation between populations separated by less than 10 km. Each of the 39 E. neotenicus colonies originated from a single pair of primary reproductives and the mean inbreeding coefficient of sterile castes was only slightly different from that expected in offspring of an outbred pair. Most S. minutus colonies (34/41) were consistent with outbred biparental foundation. In three mature colonies, the genotypes of sterile castes suggested their origin by mixing of multiple related reproductives. Finally, four colonies in late stage of the colony life cycle contained sterile populations originating from multiple unrelated reproductives. We conclude that long-distance flights resulting in outbred reproduction are common in these soil-feeding species in pristine habitats but that other factors, such as mating preferences, could increase relatedness between founders.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Fougeyrollas et al GENOTYPES

Genotypes recorded in 12 colonies of Silvestritermes minutus at 12 microsatellite loci (inf., inferred; gen. genotyped