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FIGURE 9. Single most parsimonious tree during a in Reticulitermes malletei (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a valid Nearctic subterranean termite from Eastern North America

FIGURE 9. Single most parsimonious tree during a branch and bound search using PAUP* (Swofford 2001). Bootstrap values for 1,000 replicates are listed above the branches supported at =50%.

FIGURE 7. Dendogram from a in Reticulitermes malletei (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a valid Nearctic subterranean termite from Eastern North America

FIGURE 7. Dendogram from a cluster analysis of Nearctic Reticulitermes soldier labra applying Ward's method to the Labra ratio and labra width as described in Heintschel et al. (2006).

FIGURE 8 in Reticulitermes malletei (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a valid Nearctic subterranean termite from Eastern North America

FIGURE 8. (A) Gas chromatogram of cuticular hydrocarbons (HCs) of both soldiers and workers of R. malletei. Peaks and associated HCs are listed and described in Table 2. (B) Hydrocarbon proportions for workers and soldiers of R. malletei were not significantly different at α =.05 level when evaluated by ANOVA.

FIGURE 6 in Reticulitermes malletei (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a valid Nearctic subterranean termite from Eastern North America

FIGURE 6. Comparison of Soldier head capsules from (A) Reticulitermes flavipes (B) R. tibialis (C) R. hesperus (D) R. malletei (E) R. hageni (F) R. Virginicus.

FIGURE 4 in Reticulitermes malletei (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a valid Nearctic subterranean termite from Eastern North America

FIGURE 4. Slide mounted comparisons of Soldier Pronota from (A) Reticulitermes malletei (B) R. virginicus (C) R. hageni (D) R. flavipes (E) R. tibialis (F) R. hesperus.

FIGURE 1 in Reticulitermes malletei (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a valid Nearctic subterranean termite from Eastern North America

FIGURE 1. Automontage and slide mounted photographs of R. malletei from Georgia, collected in 1987: A) dorsal view of soldier head capsule with mandibles, B) ventral view of soldier head capsule with mandibles, C) soldier postmentum, D) soldier mandibles, E) pleural view of soldier head capsule with mandibles, F) soldier pronotum, G) soldier labrum, H) alate pleural view, I) alate forewing, J) alate hindwing, and K) alate head capsule.

FIGURE 3 in Reticulitermes malletei (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a valid Nearctic subterranean termite from Eastern North America

FIGURE 3. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) photography of: Reticulitermes flavipes worker (top) and Reticulitermes malletei worker, (bottom). Biometric measurements were taken to calculate our index: (distance AB + BC) + length L as described in Bagnéres et al. (1990). This procedure was repeated for both western Palearctic and eastern Nearctic Reticulitermes species.

FIGURE 2 in Reticulitermes malletei (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a valid Nearctic subterranean termite from Eastern North America

FIGURE 2. Principal component analysis of epicuticular hydrocarbons from R. malletei, R. flavipes from Georgia (USA), R. lucifugus from France and Italy, and R. grassei from France and Spain.

FIGURE 5 in Reticulitermes malletei (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a valid Nearctic subterranean termite from Eastern North America

FIGURE 5. Slide mounted comparisons of Soldier labra from (A) R. malletei (B) R. hageni (C) R. virginicus (D) R. flavipes (E) R. tibialis (F) R. hesperus

opencc-zeroJul 2021View details →

Coordination of movement via complementary interactions of leaders and followers in termite mating pairs.

Leadership of animal group movements depends on social feedback, hence leader's signals and follower's responses should be attuned to each other. However, leader and follower roles are difficult to disentangle in species with high levels of coordination. To overcome this challenge, we investigated a simple case of movement coordination: termite pairs in which a female leads a male as they search for a nest site. To tease apart leader and follower roles, we created conspecific and heterospecific pairs of Coptotermes gestroi and C. formosanus, which share a pairing pheromone so that males follow females of either species. Conspecific pairs were stable for both species, even though C. gestroi females produce less pheromone than C. formosanus. Heterospecific pairs with C. gestroi males were also stable, but not those with C. formosanus males. We attributed this difference to the C. gestroi male's unique capacity to follow females that release small amounts of pheromone; C. formosanus males cannot follow or reject C. gestroi females as unsuitable. This conclusion was supported by an information-theoretic analysis that detected information flow from female to male in only stable tandems. Despite their following ability, C. gestroi males lost to C. formosanus males in competitions to follow C. formosanus females. Thus, partner selection has shaped the species-specific association of mating pairs. Our results demonstrate that a similar level of coordination can emerge from distinct sets of complementary sender-receiver interactions.

opencc-zeroJul 2021View details →

Evidence for reduced immune gene diversity and activity during the evolution of termites

This dataset contains data from a termite immunity related study described in the paper: "He Shulin, Sieksmeyer Thorben, Che Yanli, Mora M. Alejandra Esparza, Stiblik Petr, Banasiak Ronald, Harrison Mark C., Šobotník Jan, Wang Zongqing, Johnston Paul R. and McMahon Dino P. 2021Evidence for reduced immune gene diversity and activity during the evolution of termitesProc. R. Soc. B.288:20203168.http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2020.3168". The study investigates the evolution of termite molecular immune system: evolution of immune gene family along a constructed phylogeny, different individual immune response between three termite castes, a subsocial cockroach and a non-social cockroach, the caste specific expression of immune genes, different social immune response between a social termite species and a non-social cockroach species. In the first experiment, we de novo sequenced 18 cockroach and termite species, spanning the full spectrum of solitary and social lifestyles, including two solitary cockroach species, two species of subsocial Cryptocercus wood-feeding cockroaches and 14 termite species. We exploited a transcriptomic approach to compare the immune gene repertoire of these sequenced species. In the second experiment, we compared individual immune responses in a solitary cockroach, B. orientalis, a subsocial wood-feeding roach, Cryptocercus meridianus, and each caste of a social termite, Neotermes castaneus, following direct injection with heat-killed microbes. In the third experiment, we explored total gene expression differences between castes without immune challenge. In the fourth experiment, we studied gene expression changes in each caste of N. castaneus following colony exposure to immune-challenged nestmates, and compared these with gene expression changes in the solitary cockroach, B. orientalis, following group exposure to immune-challenged conspecifics. Main results of the experiments are that (1) immune gene families show contractions and expansions during temite evolution; (2) compared with cockroaches, termites showed weak individual immune response; (3) termites have caste-specific constitutive immunity; (4) Compared with cockroach, termite showed a stronger gene expression changes in response to a social immune challenge.

opencc-zeroAug 2021View details →

Colony-age-dependent variation in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in subterranean termite colonies

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) have, in insects, important physiological and ecological functions, such as protection against desiccation and as semiochemicals in eusocial taxa, including termites. CHCs are, in termites, known to vary qualitatively and/or quantitatively among species, populations, or seasons. Changes to hydrocarbon profile composition have been linked to varying degrees of aggression between termite colonies, although the variability of results among studies suggests that additional factors might have been involved. One source of variability may be colony age; however, this factor has never been investigated. We studied caste-specific patterns of CHC profiles in Coptotermes gestroi colonies of four different age classes (6, 18, 30, and 42 months). The CHC profiles were variable among castes in the youngest colonies, but progressively converged with increasing colony age. Young colonies had a less-defined CHC identity compared to older ones, which likely obscures the colony's ability to detect non-nestmates. Our data suggest that there is no selective pressure on an early-defined colony CHC profile, potentially allowing incipient colonies to merge non-agonistically with competing conspecifics as an indirect result.

FIGURE 7 in An extraordinary new termite (Isoptera: Termitidae: Syntermitinae: Rhynchotermes) from the pasturelands of northern Colombia

FIGURE 7. In situ image of R. bulbinasus, sp. nov. soldiers and workers on open soil surface about 4 hours after sunrise. Notice high stance and position of stationary soldiers as they guard moving workers in the background.

FIGURE 6 in An extraordinary new termite (Isoptera: Termitidae: Syntermitinae: Rhynchotermes) from the pasturelands of northern Colombia

FIGURE 6. Enteric valve lining of R. bulbinasus, sp. nov. worker. Single enteric valve pad on left (bar = 0.05 mm), entire valve on right (bar = 0.2 mm).

FIGURES 2–5 in An extraordinary new termite (Isoptera: Termitidae: Syntermitinae: Rhynchotermes) from the pasturelands of northern Colombia

FIGURES 2–5. Rhynchotermes bulbinasus, sp. nov. 2, dorsal habitus of minor (top) and major soldiers (bar = 1 mm); 3, lateral view of minor soldier; arrow points to process on fore coxa (bar = 1 mm); 4, ventral view of head of minor soldier (bar = 0.5 mm); 5, dorsal and lateral habitus of mature workers (bar = 1 mm).

FIGURE 1 in An extraordinary new termite (Isoptera: Termitidae: Syntermitinae: Rhynchotermes) from the pasturelands of northern Colombia

FIGURE 1. Known distribution of Rhynchotermes bulbinasus, sp. nov. Red circles are survey sites where R. bulbinasus was collected. Blue circles represent survey sites were termites were collected but where R. bulbinasus was not found.

opennotspecifiedJan 2010View details →

FIGURE 3 in A new termite species (Isoptera: Termitidae: Termitinae: Amitermes) and first record of a Subterranean Termite from the Coastal Desert of South America

FIGURE 3. Enteric valve cuticular lining of A. lunae worker. Left: five pads shown, one pad bisected along slit line. Bar = 0.2mm. Right: close up of bottom pads. Bar = 0.05.

opennotspecifiedJan 2010View details →

FIGURE 2 in A new termite species (Isoptera: Termitidae: Termitinae: Amitermes) and first record of a Subterranean Termite from the Coastal Desert of South America

FIGURE 2. Left: Ventral, dorsal, and lateral habitus of holotype soldier of A. lunae. Bar = 1 mm. Right: Neotropical Amitermes soldier headcapsules: A. A. cryptodon Light, Rabinal, Guatemala; B. A. amicki, Taratara, Venezuela, C. A. beaumonti, La Ceiba, Guatemala; D. A. excellens, El Callo, Venezuela, E. A. foreli, Barquisimeto, Venezuela, F. A. lunae sp. nov., holotype; G. A. amifer Coxipo, Brazil (redrawn from Light 1932); H. A. aporema, Aporema, Brazil (redrawn from Constantino 1992); I. A. ensifer Light, Jala, Mexico (redrawn from Light 1930). Scale bar = 1mm.

opennotspecifiedJan 2010View details →

FIGURE 1 in A new termite species (Isoptera: Termitidae: Termitinae: Amitermes) and first record of a Subterranean Termite from the Coastal Desert of South America

FIGURE 1. Type locality of A. lunae. Red arrow indicates location where this species was collected from bamboo lying on the soil (photo by C. Chauchat).