Lack of Agonism in an Insular Caribbean Termite, Nasutitermes acajutlae

Fuller, Claire A.; Jeyasingh, Punidan D.; Harris, Leslie W.

doi:10.1023/b:joir.0000042539.93528.24

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The lack of aggressive behavior among termites has been also registered for an insular higher termite (Fuller, Jeyasingh, & Harris, ) and an invasive subterranean termite (Perdereau et al., ). The dear enemy phenomenon may be an explanation (Fisher, ; Temeles, ); however, this is not very common among subterranean termites, although Nobre, Nunes, and Bignell () found different colonies of R. grassei foraging in the same resource at the same time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Symbiotic flagellate protists as cryptic drivers of adaptation and invasiveness of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei Clément

Duarte

Nobre

Borges

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Changes in flagellate protist communities of subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei across different locations were evaluated following four predictions: (i) Rural endemic (Portugal mainland) termite populations will exhibit high diversity of symbionts; (ii) invasive urban populations (Horta city, Faial island, Azores), on the contrary, will exhibit lower diversity of symbionts, showing high similarity of symbiont assemblages through environmental filtering; (iii) recent historical colonization of isolated regions—as the case of islands—will imply a loss of symbiont diversity; and (iv) island isolation will trigger a change in colony breeding structure toward a less aggressive behavior. Symbiont flagellate protist communities were morphologically identified, and species richness and relative abundances, as well as biodiversity indices, were used to compare symbiotic communities in colonies from urban and rural environments and between island invasive and mainland endemic populations. To evaluate prediction on the impact of isolation (iv), aggression tests were performed among termites comprising island invasive and mainland endemic populations. A core group of flagellates and secondary facultative symbionts was identified. Termites from rural environments showed, in the majority of observed colonies, more diverse and abundant protist communities, probably confirming prediction (i). Corroborating prediction (ii), the two least diverse communities belong to termites captured inside urban areas. The Azorean invasive termite colonies had more diverse protist communities than expected and prediction (iii) which was not verified within this study. Termites from mainland populations showed a high level of aggressiveness between neighboring colonies, in contrast to the invasive colonies from Horta city, which were not aggressive to neighbors according to prediction (iv). The symbiotic flagellate community of R. grassei showed the ability to change in a way that might be consistent with adaptation to available conditions, possibly contributing to optimization of the colonization of new habitats and spreading of its distribution area, highlighting R. grassei potential as an invasive species.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Symbiotic flagellate protists as cryptic drivers of adaptation and invasiveness of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei Clément

Duarte

Nobre

Borges

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Although there are no other species of arboreal nesting termites known on St John (Jones & Nalepa, 2002), competition with fungi (Holt, 1987, 1990), and other macro‐detrivores (Korb & Linsenmair, 2001) could be a major factor in controlling the abundance and distribution of N. acajutlae populations in different habitats. The absence of inter‐colonial agonism between N. acajutlae colonies on St John (Fuller et al ., 2004) suggests that intraspecific competition may not be severe.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The average number of alates produced over a 10‐year period by colonies in different habitats was projected using an analysis based on standard life tables (Krebs, 2001; Fuller et al ., 2004); however, nest volume was used instead of age because survival and reproduction in nasutes have been shown to be size dependent (e.g. this study, Thorne, 1983; Thorne & Haverty, 2000).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat‐specific life‐history variation in the Caribbean termiteNasutitermes acajutlae(Isoptera: Termitidae)

Jeyasingh

Fuller

2004

Ecological Entomology

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Abstract. 1. Population and individual colony characteristics of Nasutitermes acajutlae on St John, U.S. Virgin Islands were studied over a 5‐year period. 2. Four habitat types (dry forests, moist forests, sparse vegetation, and woodlands) were sampled for N. acajutlae, using quadrat‐based methods. Lying dead wood was also quantified in the same sites. 3. Habitats differed significantly in the volume of lying dead wood, and total termite nest volume within quadrats was positively related to wood volume. It was hypothesised that the volume of dead wood affected growth, reproduction, and yearly survival of individual colonies. 4. In a sample of > 100 colonies assessed in 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2002, no significant differences in the growth rate of colonies (= increase in nest volume) could be found between habitat types; however, colonies in sparse vegetation were smaller, less likely to survive, and reproduced at a smaller size compared with those in the other three habitats. 5. Overall nest volume in sparse vegetation was high, compared with dry and moist forest, but colonies showed, on average, poorer survival (interpreted as lower fitness), and produced alates at an early stage of development. Optimum habitat characteristics for N. acajutlae may include not only favourable microclimate but also the reliable acquisition of new dead wood after storms.

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Agonistic Behavior of the Termite Prorhinotermes canalifrons (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

2008

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Lack of Agonism in an Insular Caribbean Termite, Nasutitermes acajutlae

Cited by 3 publications

References 27 publications

Symbiotic flagellate protists as cryptic drivers of adaptation and invasiveness of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei Clément

Symbiotic flagellate protists as cryptic drivers of adaptation and invasiveness of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei Clément

Habitat‐specific life‐history variation in the Caribbean termiteNasutitermes acajutlae(Isoptera: Termitidae)

Agonistic Behavior of the Termite Prorhinotermes canalifrons (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

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