Authors: Whitman, J. G.; Forschler, B. T.

Source: Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Volume 100, Number 5, September 2007 , pp. 763-771(9)

Publisher: Entomological Society of America

Abstract:

Behaviors displayed by worker termites, which make up 80-90% of any eastern subterranean termite population, provide the foundation for understanding the details of termite social organization. Individually marked termite workers were placed in an enclosed, darkened arena and videotaped for three 24-h periods. Behaviors observed in detail include ecdysial assistance, gallery excavation, oscillatory movements, worker feeding and adult mating. Primary reproductive pairs were observed to mate, on average, once every 3 d. Ecdysis lasted 43 min and involved multiple allogrooming attendants. Excavating termites manipulated the substrate with their mouthparts and showed fidelity to the site of excavation but not the site of deposition. Four different types of oscillatory movements were characterized with the type IV always ending in defecation. Worker feeding behaviors are described that involve swallowing materials obtained by five different routes and evoke use of the superorganism concept. The relevance of these observations for a better understanding of a variety of topics, including biology, management, and evolution of these economic pests, is included.

Keywords: subterranean termite; worker behavior; feeding; social interactions; allogrooming

Document Type: Research article

Publication date: 2007-09-01

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• Annals of the Entomological Society of America is published in January, March, May, July, September, and November. Annals especially invites submission of manuscripts that integrate different areas of insect biology, and address issues that are likely to be of broad relevance to entomologists. Articles also report on basic aspects of the biology of arthropods, divided into categories by subject matter: systematics; ecology and population biology; arthropod biology; arthropods in relation to plant diseases; conservation biology and biodiversity; physiology, biochemistry, and toxicology; morphology, histology, and fine structure; genetics; and behavior.
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