Population structure and colony composition of two Zootermopsis nevadensis subspecies

Aldrich, Benjamin T.; Kambhampati, Srinivas

doi:10.1038/sj.hdy.6801022

Cited by 21 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 46 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…This finding suggests that colony fusion is not a derived condition in Termopsidae, but reflects an ancestral ecological circumstance where multiple alate pairs initiate colonies within a limited resource. In Zootermopsis, one third of field colonies collected from isolated stumps derived from more than one founding pair (51), demonstrating that our results are not an artifact of laboratory conditions. In the primitive termite, C. secundus, Korb and Schneider (38) report evidence of fusion in 25% of 510 field colonies, although they did not identify the colony of origin of surviving secondary reproductives nor measure interbreeding between colonies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Nonrelatives inherit colony resources in a primitive termite

Johns

Howard

Breisch

et al. 2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The evolution of eusociality, especially how selection would favor sterility or subfertility of most individuals within a highly social colony, is an unresolved paradox. Eusociality evolved independently in diverse taxa, including insects (all ants and termites; some bees, wasps, thrips, and beetles), snapping shrimp, and naked mole rats. Termites have received comparatively less focus than the haplodiploid Hymenoptera (ants, bees, and wasps); however, they are the only diploid group with highly complex colonies and an extraordinary diversity of castes. In this study we staged encounters between unrelated colonies of primitive dampwood termites, Zootermopsis nevadensis, mimicking natural meetings that occur under bark. During encounters, kings and/or queens were killed and surviving members merged into one colony. After encounters, members of both unrelated colonies cooperated as a single social unit. We determined the colony of origin of replacement reproductives that emerged after death of kings and/or queens. Here, we document that replacement reproductives developed from workers in either or both original colonies, inherited the merged resources of the colony, and sometimes interbred. Because this species shares many characteristics with ancestral termites, these findings demonstrate how ecological factors could have promoted the evolution of eusociality by accelerating and enhancing direct fitness opportunities of helper offspring, rendering relatedness favoring kin selection less critical.ancestral termites ͉ evolution of eusociality ͉ replacement reproductives ͉ selection ͉ Zootermopsis

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 62%

Nonrelatives inherit colony resources in a primitive termite

Johns

Howard

Breisch

et al. 2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Colony fusion is relatively common in the basal termites [40,44,45], in which all colony members retain some direct fitness potential which is exercised when colonies fuse or are otherwise stressed [46,47]. In these cases, multiple secondary (neotenic) reproductives may coexist, but not multiple primary reproductives.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Costs of pleometrosis in a polygamous termite

Hartke

Rosengaus

2013

Proc. R. Soc. B.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Costs and benefits of pleometrosis, as understood from social Hymenoptera, have never been tested in the independently evolved termites. To understand the extent to which such co-founding may be advantageous for colony survival and growth, we tracked the survival and reproduction of 5000 laboratory-established incipient colonies of the facultatively polygamous neotropical termite Nasutitermes corniger. Significantly more pleometrotic groups than monogamous queen-king pairs failed within the first 90 days of establishment, and 99 per cent of pleometrotic groups lost at least one founding member. Oviposition commenced earlier in larger groups, but colony growth was slower and production of workers and soldiers was delayed compared with pairs. Thus, pleometrosis does not increase colony fitness and is in fact highly disadvantageous.

show abstract

“…In addition, Korb and Schneider (2007) also reported a record of mixed colonies representing 25% of those sampled. Mixed family colonies have been recorded in a number of termite species, including R. flavipes Vargo 2004, DeHeer andKamble 2008), R. grassei Clement (Clement 1981, Clement et al 2001, Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggatt (Goodisman and Crozier 2002), Macrotermes michaelseni Sjostedt (Hacker et al 2005), and Zootermopsis nevadensis Hagen (Aldrich and Kambhampati 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%