Summary
Starved workers of the Formosan subterranean termite,Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, initiated trophallactic exchanges with soldiers regardless of soldier nutritional status. Starved soldiers did not solicit food from workers and were not fed when workers had been fed previously. The laboratory results suggest that worker-soldier trophallactic exchange is a worker-initiated behavior and essentially independent of the nutritional state of the soldier.
Resume
Les ouvriers affamés deCoptotermes formosanus prennent l'initiative des échanges trophallactiques avec les soldats, quel que soit l'état nutritionnel de ceux-ci. Les soldats affamés ne sollicitent pas de nourriture des ouvriers, et ne sont pas nourris par eux quand ces ouvriers sont alimentés préalablement. Les résultats de laboratoire suggèrent que l'échange ouvrier-soldat est un comportement toujours initié par l'ouvrier et indépendant de létat nutrionnel du soldat.
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Su, N.Y., La Fage, J.P. Initiation of worker-soldier trophallaxis by the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Ins. Soc 34, 229–235 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224355
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224355