Genetic Structure of Termite Colonies and Populations

Vargo, Edward L.; Husseneder, Claudia

doi:10.1007/978-90-481-3977-4_12

Cited by 45 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 124 publications

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“…For habitat specialists like Zootermopsis, population fragmentation can result in a reduction in effective population size, subjecting populations to the opposing forces of selection and genetic drift, which over a relatively short-time frame may lead to significant population divergence (Avise, 2004), as observed here. This is in sharp contrast to the low levels of population differentiation in more generalist species, such as those in the genus Reticulitermes (Vargo and Husseneder, 2011).…”

Section: Population Differentiationcontrasting

confidence: 39%

“…However, it is possible that dispersal is limited in this species, either because most alates fly only short distances or because most colonies reproduce by budding (colonies split into two or more fragments and then generate new reproductives from the existing worker force). Although budding has been considered a common mode of reproduction in termites, especially subterranean species (e.g., Thorne et al, 1999), genetic evidence suggests that it occurs infrequently (Vargo and Husseneder, 2011). Moreover, it seems unlikely that budding frequently occurs in dampwood termites because members of a colony do not forage outside of the nest in a stump or log on which they also feed (Abe, 1987).…”

Section: Population Differentiationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Population genetic structure and colony breeding system in dampwood termites (Zootermopsis angusticollis and Z. nevadensis nuttingi)

et al. 2011

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Studies describing the population genetic structure and breeding system of basal lineages of termite species remain rare. Such species, however, may reveal ancestral life history attributes potentially influential in the evolution of social life within the Isoptera. Through the development and application of microsatellite DNA loci, we investigated patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation within the dampwood termite Zootermopsis angusticollis collected from three geographically distinct locations in California, USA. Significant genetic differentiation was identified among all sites, which were located 40-150 km apart, and each site was found to represent unique populations with limited levels of gene flow. While Z. angusticollis alates have previously been described as being strong fliers, genetic evidence suggests limited dispersal, possibly due to habitat characteristics restricting long-range flights. Additionally, we characterize patterns of colony genetic structure and breeding system within both Z. angusticollis and its congener Z. nevadensis nuttingi. In Z. angusticollis, simple, extended, and mixed family colonies were observed. The frequency of simple families ranged from 16 to 64%, whereas mixed families were found in only two locations and at low frequencies. In contrast, Z. n. nuttingi, formed primarily extended family colonies. Estimates of relatedness suggest that monogamous pairs heading simple families consist of reproductives showing variable degrees of relatedness from unrelated to close relatives. Additionally, the effective number of neotenic reproductives appears to be low within extended families of both species.

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Section: Population Differentiationcontrasting

confidence: 39%

Section: Population Differentiationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population genetic structure and colony breeding system in dampwood termites (Zootermopsis angusticollis and Z. nevadensis nuttingi)

et al. 2011

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“…Whatever is the correct answer, another intriguing question concerns the selection pressures favouring AQS given the dramatic ecological differences between xylophagous Reticulitermes termites from temperate regions on the one hand and tropical humivorous Embiratermes on the other hand. Vice versa, a number of closely related species with similar ecology unambiguously lack AQS, such as several Reticulitermes species [8,31] and Labiotermes labralis, a humivorous syntermitine sympatric with E. neotenicus [32]. At the same time, it must be noted that rigorous studies on the breeding systems of termites with large colony populations are scarce, especially in tropical humivorous species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Asexual queen succession in the higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus

et al. 2015

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Asexual queen succession (AQS), in which workers, soldiers and dispersing reproductives are produced sexually while numerous non-dispersing queens arise through thelytokous parthenogenesis, has recently been described in three species of lower termites of the genus Reticulitermes. Here, we show that AQS is not an oddity restricted to a single genus of lower termites, but a more widespread strategy occurring also in the most advanced termite group, the higher termites (Termitidae). We analysed the genetic structure in 10 colonies of the Neotropical higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus (Syntermitinae) using five newly developed polymorphic microsatellite loci. The colonies contained one primary king accompanied either by a single primary queen or by up to almost 200 neotenic queens. While the workers, the soldiers and most future dispersing reproductives were produced sexually, the nondispersing neotenic queens originated through thelytokous parthenogenesis of the founding primary queen. Surprisingly, the mode of thelytoky observed in E. neotenicus is most probably automixis with central fusion, contrasting with the automixis with terminal fusion documented in Reticulitermes. The occurrence of AQS based on different mechanisms of ploidy restoration raises the hypothesis of an independent evolutionary origin of this unique reproductive strategy in individual lineages of lower and higher termites.

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“…This is the reason why colony observation in natura is quite impossible. However, genetic tools, such as microsatellite markers that follow Mendelian inheritance, are useful when studying the family structure of colonies, and they can help estimate the number and type of reproductives via F-Statistics and genetics relatedness comparisons (Thorne et al 1999;Bulmer et al 2001), and other methods (Vargo and Husseneder 2011). Termite markers were first developed in two intermediate termites (Vargo 2000;Vargo and Henderson 2000; for a review, see Vargo andHusseneder 2009, 2011).…”

Section: Caste Social Regulationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Communication and Social Regulation in Termites

Bagnères

Hanus

2015

Social Recognition in Invertebrates

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Communication and social regulation are among the distinguishing features of termites: they are part of all basic aspects of termite biology, from ontogeny and caste differentiation to social behavior and cooperation. As in other highly social taxa, communication in termites predominantly relies on a complex network of chemical signals, which are complemented by vibration-based signals. In contrast to other social taxa, the role of visual cues is negligible. In this chapter, we review the recent literature on the different components that make up termite communication and social regulation systems by tracing termite evolution and examining the role played by different factors, such as sex and caste, and different behaviors, such as those related to defense, nestmate recognition, egg and brood care, foraging, and nest building, among others. The main characteristics of termites are compared to those of other social insects in the introduction. In the first section, we review the most important researches on termite communication and social regulation that are related to social activities in the basal phylogenetic lineages, and in the Termitidae (higher termites), the most advanced and diversified family. The abundant literature on the best studied genera, Reticulitermes, Coptotermes, and Heterotermes, which are considered for the purposes of this chapter to be intermediate termites, is reviewed and discussed separately in the second section. By using this approach, we seek to describe communication and social regulation systems in basal and primitive termites and illustrate how they have evolved to become more complex in intermediate and higher termites.

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Genetic Structure of Termite Colonies and Populations

Cited by 45 publications

References 124 publications

Population genetic structure and colony breeding system in dampwood termites (Zootermopsis angusticollis and Z. nevadensis nuttingi)

Population genetic structure and colony breeding system in dampwood termites (Zootermopsis angusticollis and Z. nevadensis nuttingi)

Asexual queen succession in the higher termite Embiratermes neotenicus

Communication and Social Regulation in Termites

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