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Trail Communication During Foraging and Recruitment in the Subterranean Termite Reticulitermes santonensis De Feytaud (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae)

Trail Communication During Foraging and Recruitment in the Subterranean Termite Reticulitermes... The search for food in the French subterranean termite Reticulitermes santonensis De Feytaud is organized in part by chemical trails laid with the secretion of their abdominal sternal gland. Trail-laying and -following behavior of R. santonensis was investigated in bioassays. During foraging for food termites walk slowly (on average, 2.3 mm/s) and lay a dotted trail by dabbing the abdomen at intervals on the ground. When food is discovered they return at a quick pace (on average, 8.9 mm/s) to the nest, laying a trail for recruiting nestmates to the food source. While laying this recruitment trail the workers drag the abdomen continuously on the ground. The recruitment trail is highly attractive: it is followed within a few seconds, by more nestmates, and at a quicker pace (on average, 6.4 mm/s) than foraging trails (on average, 2.9 mm/s). The difference between foraging and recruitment trails in R. santonensis could be attributed to different quantities of trail pheromone. A caste-specific difference in trail pheromone thresholds, with workers of R. santonensis being more sensitive to trails than soldiers, was also documented: soldiers respond only to trails with a high concentration of trail pheromone. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Insect Behavior Springer Journals

Trail Communication During Foraging and Recruitment in the Subterranean Termite Reticulitermes santonensis De Feytaud (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae)

Reinhard, Judith; Kaib, Manfred
Journal of Insect Behavior , Volume 14 (2) – Oct 8, 2004
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References (58)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2001 by Plenum Publishing Corporation
Subject
Life Sciences; Ecology; Evolutionary Biology; Zoology; Animal Physiology; Animal Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography
ISSN
0892-7553
eISSN
1572-8889
DOI
10.1023/A:1007881510237
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The search for food in the French subterranean termite Reticulitermes santonensis De Feytaud is organized in part by chemical trails laid with the secretion of their abdominal sternal gland. Trail-laying and -following behavior of R. santonensis was investigated in bioassays. During foraging for food termites walk slowly (on average, 2.3 mm/s) and lay a dotted trail by dabbing the abdomen at intervals on the ground. When food is discovered they return at a quick pace (on average, 8.9 mm/s) to the nest, laying a trail for recruiting nestmates to the food source. While laying this recruitment trail the workers drag the abdomen continuously on the ground. The recruitment trail is highly attractive: it is followed within a few seconds, by more nestmates, and at a quicker pace (on average, 6.4 mm/s) than foraging trails (on average, 2.9 mm/s). The difference between foraging and recruitment trails in R. santonensis could be attributed to different quantities of trail pheromone. A caste-specific difference in trail pheromone thresholds, with workers of R. santonensis being more sensitive to trails than soldiers, was also documented: soldiers respond only to trails with a high concentration of trail pheromone.

Journal

Journal of Insect Behavior – Springer Journals

Published: Oct 8, 2004

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