Comparison of Temperature-Dependent Survivorship and Wood-Consumption Rate Among Two Invasive Subterranean Termite Species (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae:<i>Coptotermes</i>) and Their Hybrids

Patel, Jayshree S; Tong, Reina L; Chouvenc, Thomas; Su, Nan‐Yao

doi:10.1093/jee/toy347

Cited by 20 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The following morning, the species and sex of dealates were ascertained based upon morphological characters (Su et al 1997;Weesner 1969). Incipient colonies were established by introducing conspecific dealate pairs into individual rearing units (Chouvenc and Su 2014) and were maintained in the lab at 28°C and approximately 80% humidity as described (Patel et al 2019). Colonies of both species were provided with deionized water and Picea sp.…”

Section: Termite Collectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Complete Protist Symbiont Communities of Coptotermes formosanus and Coptotermes gestroi: Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Five New Species

Jasso‐Selles

Martini

Velenovsky

et al. 2020

J Eukaryotic Microbiology

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Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) (Blattoidea: Rhinotermitidae) are invasive subterranean termite pest species with a major global economic impact. However, the descriptions of the mutualistic protist communities harbored in their respective hindguts remain fragmentary. The C. formosanus hindgut has long been considered to harbor three protist species, Pseudotrichonympha grassii (Trichonymphida), Holomastigotoides hartmanni, and Cononympha (Spirotrichonympha) leidyi (Spirotrichonymphida), but molecular data have suggested that the diversity may be higher. Meanwhile, the C. gestroi community remains undescribed except for Pseudotrichonympha leei. To complete the characterization of these communities, hindguts of workers from both termite species were investigated using single-cell PCR, microscopy, cell counts, and 18S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The two hosts were found to harbor intriguingly parallel protist communities, each consisting of one Pseudotrichonympha species, two Holomastigotoides species, and two Cononympha species. All protist species were unique to their respective hosts, which last shared a common ancestor~18 MYA. The relative abundances of protist species in each hindgut differed remarkably between cell count data and 18S rRNA profiles, calling for caution in interpreting species abundances from amplicon data. This study will enable future research in C. formosanus and C. gestroi hybrids, which provide a unique opportunity to study protist community inheritance, compatibility, and potential contribution to hybrid vigor. COPTOTERMES formosanus Shiraki and Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) are subterranean termite species within the family Rhinotermitidae (Krishna et al. 2013). Coptotermes formosanus (Formosan subterranean termite) is a warm temperate/subtropical species native to southern China and Taiwan, while C. gestroi (Asian subterranean termite) is a tropical species native to Southeast Asia (Li et al. 2009). Their most recent common ancestor lived~18 million years ago and gave rise to multiple descendant lineages, from which C. formosanus and C. gestroi emerged in allopatry within the last~5-10 million years (Bourguignon et al. 2016). However, human activity has led to the spread of both species beyond their native ranges, and they are now established in sympatry in at least three distinct areas: Taiwan, Hawaii, and southeastern Florida (Chouvenc et al. 2016; Evans et al. 2013; Scheffrahn and Crowe 2011; Su et al. 2017). Coptotermes mature colonies can contain several million individuals and

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Section: Termite Collectionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Complete Protist Symbiont Communities of Coptotermes formosanus and Coptotermes gestroi: Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Five New Species

Jasso‐Selles

Martini

Velenovsky

et al. 2020

J Eukaryotic Microbiology

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“…Coptotermes formosanus is known to contain several million individuals in a single colony and cause significant structural damage (Su and Scheffrahn 1988). Considering a proposed distribution range of Coptotermes hybrids, they could potentially distribute broad range from tropics to temperate region (Patel et al 2018). Therefore, if such hybrids are established in the field, we conjecture Coptotermes hybrids can be another economically important urban pest in the future, added to the status of the two parental species, whether or not they can produce fertile alates, which needs further investigation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since this initial report about hybrid Coptotermes , a series of studies has attempted to characterize the biology of Coptotermes hybrids. Although Coptotermes hybrids prefer relatively high temperatures based on a thermal gradient study, they can survive a temperature range that overlaps with both the parental species, indicating that Coptotermes hybrids could potentially spread out from tropical to temperate regions (i.e., 23.5°S–32.5°N), if it is established (Patel et al 2018, 2019). In addition, hybrid Coptotermes colonies display intermediate cuticular hydrocarbon profiles compared to the two parental species and showed agonistic behaviors toward parental species (Chouvenc and Su 2017), suggesting a possibility that hybrids may be able to occupy marginal habitats that are not used by parental species.…”

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confidence: 99%

Equivalent Colony Growth of Hybrids of Two Invasive Coptotermes Species Can Threaten Urban Areas

Patel

Lee

Chouvenc

et al. 2023

Journal of Economic Entomology

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Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and C. gestroi (Wasmann) are economically important structural pests in urban areas. Due to anthropogenic activity, both species have been introduced into the United States, with their respective invasive ranges now overlapping in Florida, and the two species have the capability to hybridize. The potential for structural damage from subterranean termite colonies primarily depends on colony size. However, long-term colony growth and wood consumption capabilities of hybrid Coptotermes colonies remain to be investigated, to determine the potential pest status of field-established hybrid colonies. In this study, we investigated long-term colony development over four years to determine if aging hybrid colonies display vigor in terms of colony growth. In addition, we compared wood consumption rate of hybrid colonies to compare their potential impact as structural pests with the two parental species. In aging colonies (four-year-old), both hybrid mating types displayed a colony growth equivalent to C. formosanus. However, the wood consumption rates of four-year-old colonies of the two parental Coptotermes species and their hybrids were similar, indicating equal damaging potential. We also found multiple secondary reproductives in hybrid colonies, even in the presence of primary reproductives, which may favor their potential establishment and spread. Although hybrid colonies or hybrid alates have yet to be detected in the field, our results suggest that such hybrid colonies would be an additional termite threat in the future if they were established in the field.

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“…5). The majority of laboratory experiments that attempted to study aspects of subterranean termite colonies, at the colony level, used laboratory incipient or juvenile (<4 yr old) colonies from alate pairs (Du et al 2017a,b;Su et al 2017;Chouvenc 2018;Kakkar et al 2018;Mullins and Su 2018;Patel et al 2018). There are differences in head height of workers and soldiers among colonies (Chouvenc and Su 2014), and their head width and height are smaller in incipient colonies compared to field colonies (Du et al 2017b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Correction to: A Reproductives Excluder for Subterranean Termites in Laboratory Experiments

2023

Journal of Economic Entomology

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As a social insect, termites have different castes and division of labor in a colony. Investigating the social behavior of subterranean termites is a challenge due to the cryptic nature and large colony size. Planar arenas are commonly used to study these termites under laboratory conditions, and have provided several advantages. However, there is no means to designate areas such as a royal chamber or central nest from foraging sites because reproductives can move freely across arenas. In this study, we examined the minimum passing size of different castes of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae), in order to develop a reproductive excluder and correlated minimum passing size with head widths and heights. We found that workers and soldiers of C. formosanus were able to pass through a gap greater than or equal to 0.7 mm. Our results showed that there are significant differences in the head width and height based on castes and head height was more critical than head width to determine passing size. We further confirmed feasibilities of the reproductive excluders using incipient colonies of C. formosanus. Confining reproductives using the excluder in laboratory experiments will provide more chances to study the royal chamber and central nest independently of foraging sites.

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Comparison of Temperature-Dependent Survivorship and Wood-Consumption Rate Among Two Invasive Subterranean Termite Species (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae:Coptotermes) and Their Hybrids

Cited by 20 publications

References 34 publications

The Complete Protist Symbiont Communities of Coptotermes formosanus and Coptotermes gestroi: Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Five New Species

The Complete Protist Symbiont Communities of Coptotermes formosanus and Coptotermes gestroi: Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Five New Species

Equivalent Colony Growth of Hybrids of Two Invasive Coptotermes Species Can Threaten Urban Areas

Correction to: A Reproductives Excluder for Subterranean Termites in Laboratory Experiments

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