Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T02:30:09.607Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Termite colony ontogeny: supplemental data in the long-term assessment of reproductive lifespan, female neotenic production and colony size in Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 May 2007

C.E. Long ,
B.L. Thorne  and
N.L. Breisch
C.E. Long*
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, 4112 Plant Science Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA
B.L. Thorne
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, 4112 Plant Science Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA
N.L. Breisch
Affiliation:
Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, 4112 Plant Science Building, College Park, MD 20742, USA
*
*Fax: (301) 314 9290 E-mail: cjwlong2@starpower.net
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) colonies established by field-collected alates were reared in the laboratory for 11 years. Weights of members of each caste and full-colony censuses were performed regularly; the most recent 2003–2004 data are reported. Colonies averaged 11623.5±910 individuals, and with the exception of primary queens from one genetic lineage, mean weights for all castes had increased since 2001. Female replacement reproductives, or neotenics, developed to replace dead queens in clusters of either few, large individuals or many, small individuals. Regardless of cluster size, female neotenics comprised more reproductive biomass per colony than primary queens. The number and size of female neotenics was independent of colony size or time elapsed since a founding queen's death.

Keywords

Reticulitermes flavipescolony growthneotenic development
Type
Short Communication
Information
Bulletin of Entomological Research , Volume 97 , Issue 3 , June 2007 , pp. 321 - 325
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Banks, N. & Snyder, T.E. (1920) A revision of the Nearctic termites. United States National Museum Bulletin 108. Washington, DC, Government Printing Office.Google Scholar
Esenther, G.R. (1969) Termites in Wisconsin. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 62, 1274–1284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Grace, J.K. (1996) Temporal and spatial variation in caste proportions in a northern Reticulitermes flavipes colony (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Sociobiology 28, 225–231.Google Scholar
Grube, S. & Forschler, B.T. (2004) Census of monogyne and polygyne laboratory colonies illuminates dynamics of population growth in Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 97, 466–475.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Howard, R.W. & Haverty, M.I. (1980) Reproductives in mature colonies of Reticulitermes flavipes: abundance, sex-ratio, and association with soldiers. Environmental Entomology 9, 458–460.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keller, L. (1998) Queen lifespan and colony characteristics in ants and termites. Insectes Sociaux 45, 235–246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lenz, M. (1985) Is inter- and intraspecific variability of lower termite neotenic numbers due to adaptive thresholds for neotenic elimination? Considerations from studies on Porotermes adamsoni (Froggatt) (Isoptera: Termopsidae). pp. 125–146in Watson, J.A.L., Okot-Kotber, B.M. and Noirot, C. (Eds) Caste differentiation in social insects. Oxford, Pergamon Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lenz, M. & Runko, S. (1993) Long-term impact of orphaning on field colonies of Coptotermes lacteus (Froggatt) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Insectes Sociaux 40, 439–456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Long, C.E., Thorne, B.T. & Breisch, N.L. (2003) Termite colony ontogeny: a long-term assessment of reproductive lifespan, caste ratios and colony size in Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research 93, 439–445.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miller, E.M. (1969) Caste differentiation in the lower termites. pp. 283–310in Krishna, K. & Weesner, F.M. (Eds) Biology of termites, Vol. I. New York, Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Myles, T.G. (1999) Review of secondary reproduction in termites (Insecta: Isoptera) with comments on its role in termite ecology and social evolution. Sociobiology 33, 1–94.Google Scholar
Myles, T.G. & Nutting, W.L. (1988) Termite eusocial evolution: a re-examination of Bartz's hypothesis and assumptions. Quarterly Review of Biology 63, 1–23.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nutting, W.L. (1970) Composition and size of some termite colonies in Arizona and Mexico. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 63, 1105–1110.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pickens, A.L. (1932) Distribution and life histories of the species of Reticulitermes Holmgren in California; a study of the subterranean termites with reference to (1) zoology, and (2) life histories. Doctoral thesis from the University of California.Google Scholar
Roisin, Y. & Pasteels, J.M. (1985) Imaginal polymorphism and polygyny in the neoguineal termite Nasutitermes princeps (Desneux). Insectes Sociaux 32, 140–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roisin, Y. & Pasteels, J.M. (1986a) Replacement of reproductives in Nasutitermes princeps (Desneux) (Isoptera: Termitidae. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 18, 437–442.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roisin, Y. & Pasteels, J.M. (1986b) Reproductive mechanisms in termites: Polycalism and polygyny in Nasutitermes polygynus and N. costalis. Insectes Sociaux 33, 149–167.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
SAS Institute, Inc. (2002) Statistical analysis software, version 8.2. SAS Institute, Inc. Cary, North Carolina.Google Scholar
Snyder, T.E. (1920) The colonizing reproductive adults of termites. Entomological Society of Washington 22, 109–150.Google Scholar
Snyder, T.E. (1934) Our enemy the termite. Ithaca, Comstock Publishing Company.Google Scholar
Snyder, T.E. (1954) The termites (order Isoptera) of the United States and Canada. Baltimore, Monumental Printing Company.Google Scholar
Thorne, B.L. (1984) Polygyny in the neotropical termite Nasutitermes corninger: life history consequences of queen mutualism. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 14, 117–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thorne, B.L., Breisch, N.L. & Traniello, J.F.A. (1997) Incipient colony development in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Sociobiology 30, 145–159.Google Scholar