Taxonomy and phylogeny of termites of the genus Reticulitermes in central and eastern Mediterranean lands are poorly understood, partly due to insufficient sampling. This study aims to contribute to the knowledge of east Mediterranean termites by presenting morphological and molecular data on Reticulitermes from Cyprus. Samples from 15 colonies were collected throughout the island. Qualitative and quantitative morphological characters were analyzed for alate and soldier castes. Partial sequences of the mitochondrial genes COII and 16S were used to evaluate genetic diversity of Cypriot colonies and to determine their phylogenetic relationships with taxa from central and eastern Mediterranean areas.

Cypriot alates have some morphological features in common with the Israeli R. clypeatus: an enlarged postclypeus and a wide unpigmented margin of the eye. They are larger than R. clypeatus but smaller than western European species, such as R. banyulensis, R. lucifugus corsicus and R. grassei. For Cypriot soldiers, two size groups were identified, possibly in relation with the age of their mother colonies.

Phylogenetic analysis shows that, contrary to what might be expected, the samples with the highest affinity with Cypriot samples are not those from the nearby mainland (south Turkey, Israel), but from north-eastern Greece. Comprehensive sampling in the nearby mainland is lacking, so the possibility that populations exist it that region with an affinity towards Cypriot Reticulitermes sp. cannot be ruled out. Together with samples from the Halkidiki peninsula, north-eastern Greece, northern Turkey and Crete, Cypriot Reticulitermes form a well-supported north-eastern Mediterranean clade.

Field evaluation showed oxydemeton methyl 25% E.C. at 0.6 kg a.i./ha and dimethoate 40% E.C. at 0.74 kg a.i./ha to be more effective than cypermethrin 40% E.C. at 0.25 kg a.i./ha, decamethrin 2.5% E.C. at 0.03 kg a.i./ha, endosulphan 35% E.C. at 0.8 kg a.i./ha and profenofos 50% E.C. at 0.74 a.i./ha in the control of apterae on potatoes. Disulfoton 10G at 1.6 k0g a.i./ha and carbofuran 10G at 5.2 kg a.i./ha were superior to oxamyl 10G at 5.2 kg a.i./ha and terbufos 5G at 2.6 kg a.i./ha applied in the furrow at planting for the control of aphids. Although these insecticides gave good control of apterae, the alate population in the treated plots varied from significant reduction to no reduction. All the insecticides tested did not significantly increase potato yield, although mean yields were increased.

At intervals of 2 months over 1 year, 64 royal cells were removed from mounds of Macrotermes michaelseni to find out whether a new royal pair was produced. In five mounds replacement reproductives were found. Young reproductives from incipient laboratory colonies were never accepted as replacements if they were introduced after the removal of the primary reproductives. One out of 10 royal pairs was accepted if the royal cell was introduced immediately after removal of the original one, and three out of 10 survived if the royal cell was introduced 1 week after the removal of the original one.

Replacement reproductives were only produced when nymphs or alates were in the nest at the time the primary reproductives were removed. It was not possible to find out at what time after the removal a new royal pair was accepted but measurements of the replacement queens showed that they can become fully physogastric within 7 months.