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.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alibert-Bertho J. 1969. — La trophallaxie chez le termite à cou jaune,Calotermes flavicollis (Fabr.) étudiée à l'aide de radio-éléments. I. Participation des différentes castes à la trophallaxie ‘globale’. Les catégories d'aliments transmis. [itAnn. Sci. Nat. (Zool.) Sér.12, 11, 235–325.
Andrew B.J., 1930. — Methods and rate of protozoan refaunation in the termiteTermopsis angusticollis Hagen.Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool., 33, 449–470.
Grassé P.P., 1949. — Ordre des Isoptères ou termites. P. 408–544, in:Traité de Zoologie, P.P., Grassé (Ed.), Masson et Cie, Paris, vol. IX.
Grassé P.P., Noirot C. 1945. — La transmission des flagellés symbiotiques et les aliments des termites.Bull. Biol. Fr. Belg., 79, 273–292.
Haverty M.I., 1977. — The proportion of soldiers in termite colonies: a list and a bibliography (Isoptera).Sociobiology, 2, 199–216.
La Fage J.P., Nutting W.L., 1978. — Nutrient dynamics of termites. P. 165–232. In:Production ecology of ants and termites, M.V., Brian (Ed.) Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge.
La Fage J.P., Su N.-Y., Jones M.J., Esenther G.R., 1983. — A rapid method for collecting large numbers of subterranean termites from wood.Sociobiology, 7, 305–310.
McMahan E.A., 1963. — A study of termite feeding relationship using radio-isotopes.Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am., 56, 74–82.
McMahan E.A., 1969. — Feeding relationships and radio-isotope technique, p. 387–406, in:Biology of termites, Vol. 1, K. Krishna, F.M. Weesner (Eds), Academic Press, New York and London.
Noirot C., Noirot-Tomothee C., 1969. — The digestive system, p. 49–88, in:Biology of termites, Vol. 1, K. Krishna, F.M. Weesner (Eds), Academic Press, New York and London.
Stuart A.M., 1969. — Social behavior and communication, p. 193–232, in:Biology of termites, Vol. 1, K. Krishna, F.M. Weesner (Eds) Academic Press, New York and London.
Su N.-Y., La Fage, J.P., 1984. — Comparison of laboratory methods for estimating woodconsumption rates byCoptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am., 77, 125–129.
Su N.-Y., La Fage J.P., 1986. — Effects of starvation on survival and maintenance of soldier proportion in laboratory groups of the Formosan subterranean termite,Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am, 79, 312–316.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
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
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224355