Macro-symbiosis triggered by a defence-reproduction tradeoff in a social insect

Rodrigues, Vinícius Barros; Tuci, Elio; Holstein, H.; Bowen, Miriam S.; Costa, Diogo Andrade; Takahashi, Lucy Tiemi; Cristaldo, Paulo F.; DeSouza, Og

doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109780

Cited by 1 publication

(3 citation statements)

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“…The host does not use chemical communication channels to detect the inquilines and prevent nest invasion . Furthermore, there is a trade-off between defence and reproduction in host termites, making the colony vulnerable to invasions when it invests in reproduction (Rodrigues et al, 2021). In this context, we offer further insights into the persistence of termite coexistence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…Interestingly, the host, when exposed to inquiline chemical cues, does not use them to identify and prevent invasion . Another crucial aspect to consider is that, during the host's reproductive period, the colony reduces the defensive caste (soldiers), which can facilitate the entry of inquilines (Rodrigues et al, 2021).…”

Section: General Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cohabitation in termite nests possible due to the mechanisms developed by inquilines for living within their host nest, such as pacifist behaviour to avoid fighting with hosts (Cruz et al, 2018;, chemical disguise to avoid being found , and morphological structures for defence if the encounter is unavoidable . Inquilines exploit a window of opportunity during the host's reproductive flights to sneak into the nest, as the allocation of resources for reproduction reduces the colony's defence (Rodrigues et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Termite-termite heterospeciﬁc cohabitation mediated by vibratory cues

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Distinct organisms can live together in intimate associations, called symbiosis. These heterospeciﬁc associations cover the entire spectrum, from parasitism to mutualism. Termite-termite heterospeciﬁc cohabitation is an interesting case of symbiosis. Several questions are raised to understand how hosts and inquilines remain living together sharing the same nest. For example, what are the main forces behind this phenomenon? In this context, we focused on two mechanisms: the ability to perceive and distinguish, as well as the process of becoming habituated to vibrations from heterospeciﬁc cohabitants. Here, we provide evidence that vibrations emitted by termites are an important communication channel used to perceive heterospeciﬁc vibrations. We found that cohabitation is shaped by a combination of inquiline and host behavioural characteristics. The ability to become habituated to heterospeciﬁc vibrations is a strong indication that both cohabitants do not perceive each other’s vibrations as a threat. Furthermore, the host species does not seek the source of vibration to ﬁnd the invader, allowing the maintenance of cohabitation. On the other hand, the inquilines can exhibit more distance travelled, independent of presence of vibrations, which would facilitate evasion when meeting the host. We show that the mechanisms linked to vibratory perception and habituation and a set of behavioural adaptations from the host and inquiline termites can facilitate cohabitation. Keywords: Termites. Cohabitation. Substrate-borne vibration. Habituation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: General Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%