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Metabolic rates in different castes and instars of a drywood termite Bifiditermes beesoni (Gardner) (Isoptera)*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Mohammad Afzal
Mohammad Afzal
Affiliation:
Department of Zoology, University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
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Abstract

A comparison of the metabolic rates of different castes and instars was estimated by measuring the biological half-life of the radioisotope I131. The metabolism in the soldier caste was not only higher than alates and dealates, but also pre-soldiers. The rate of metabolism increased with an increase in the age of the nymphs. The termites which were provided with food had slow metabolism compared to those kept under starvation. The studies are helpful in understanding the phenomenon of ‘temporal polyethism’ among termites.

Keywords

Metabolic ratescastes and instarsradioisotopebiological half-lifepolyethism
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 5 , Issue 1 , February 1984 , pp. 13 - 17
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1984

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References

REFERENCES

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