Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Role of accelerated developmental pathway and limited nurturing capacity on soldier developmental instability in subterranean termite incipient colonies

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Insectes Sociaux Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the subterranean termite Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann), soldiers developing in incipient colonies display strong fluctuating asymmetry when compared with soldiers developing in mature colonies. This strong asymmetry may arise from two different types of stress factors on individuals. First, the accelerated development of nanitic (small) soldiers may impose a direct physiological stress as Coptotermes soldiers produced in incipient colonies have two less molting events than soldiers produced in mature colonies. Second, the environmental conditions in incipient colonies present a major constraint with limited access to resources and small numbers of workers to care for the developing brood. In this study, 459 soldiers from 73 incipient colonies (6-month-old) displaying only nanitic soldiers were investigated in a range of nurturing capacity scenarios. Nanitic soldiers developing in incipient colonies with high nurturing capacity displayed more symmetrical traits than the ones developing in colonies with low nurturing capacity. In addition, the first soldiers to emerge in the colony were the most asymmetrical individuals, showing that as the conditions improve rapidly with the growth of the colony, newly produced nanitic soldiers manifest the lessening of stress in normalization of their morphology. However, the nurturing capacity of the colony only partially explained the developmental instability variability, implying that the accelerated development of nanitic soldiers remains an important stress factor in incipient colonies, in comparison with soldiers developing in mature colonies with two additional molts and homeostatic environmental conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Chouvenc T, Su N-Y (2014) Colony age-dependent pathway in caste development of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki. Insect Soc 61:171–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chouvenc T, Basille M, Li H-F, Su N-Y (2014) Developmental instability in incipient colonies of social insects. PLoS One 9:e113949

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Chouvenc T, Basille M, Su NY (2015a) The production of soldiers and the maintenance of caste proportions delay the growth of termite incipient colonies. Insect Soc 62:23–29

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chouvenc T, Helmick EE, Su N-Y (2015b) Hybridization of two major termite invaders as a consequence of human activity. PLoS One 10:e0120745

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Chouvenc T, Li H-F, Austin J, Bordereau C, Bourguignon T, Su N-Y (2016) Revisiting Coptotermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a global taxonomic roadmap for species validity and distribution of an economically important subterranean termite genus. Syst Entomol 41:299–306

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cronin AL, Molet M, Doums C, Monnin T, Peeters C (2013) Recurrent evolution of dependent colony foundation across eusocial insects. Annu Rev Entomol 58:37–55

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Du H, Chouvenc T, Osbrink WLA, Su N-Y (2016) Social interactions in the central nest of Coptotermes formosanus juvenile colonies. Insect Soc 63:279–290

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du H, Chouvenc T, Su NY (2017) Development of age polyethism with colony maturity in Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Environ Entomol 46:311–318

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Graham JH, Freeman DC, Emlen JM (1993) Developmental stability: a sensitive indicator of populations under stress. ASTM Spec Tech Publ 1179:136

    Google Scholar 

  • Haverty MI (1977) Proportion of soldiers in termite colonies: a list and a bibliography. Sociobiology 2:199–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes DP, Pierce NE, Boomsma JJ (2008) Social insect symbionts: evolution in homeostatic fortresses. Trends Ecol Evol 23:672–677

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Itano H, Maekawa K (2008) Soldier differentiation and larval juvenile hormone sensitivity in an incipient colony of the damp-wood termite Zootermopsis nevadensis (Isoptera, Termopsidae). Sociobiology 51:151–162

    Google Scholar 

  • Korb J, Roux EA, Lenz M (2003) Proximate factors influencing soldier development in the basal termite Cryptotermes secundus (Hill). Insect Soc 50:299–303

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li H-F, Su N-Y (2009) Buccal manipulation of sand particles during tunnel excavation of the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Ann Entomol Soc Am 102:333–338

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Markow TA (1995) Evolutionary ecology and developmental instability. Ann Rev Entomol 40:105–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Møller AP, Swaddle JP (1997) Asymmetry, developmental stability and evolution. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Noirot Ch (1985) Pathways of caste development of lower termites. In: Watson JAL, Okot-Kotber BM, Noirot Ch (eds) Caste differentiation in social insects. Pergamon, New York, pp 41–57

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Nutting WL (1969) Flight and colony foundation. In: Krishna K, Weesner FM (eds) Biology of termites, vol 1. Academic Press, New York, pp 233–282

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Oster GF, Wilson EO (1978) Caste and ecology in the social insects. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons PA (1992) Fluctuating asymmetry: a biological monitor of environmental and genomic stress. Heredity 68:361–364

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prestwich GD (1979) Chemical defense by termite soldiers. J Chem Ecol 5:459–480

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rabitsch WB (1997) Levels of asymmetry in Formica pratensis Retz. (Hymenoptera, insecta) from a chronic metal-contaminated site. Environ Toxicol Chem 16:1433–1440

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scheffrahn RH, Su N-Y (2005) Distribution of the termite genus Coptotermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Florida. Florida Entomol 88:201–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schmickl T, Crailsheim K (2004) Inner nest homeostasis in a changing environment with special emphasis on honey bee brood nursing and pollen supply. Apidologie 35:249–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su N-Y, La Fage JP (1987) Effects of soldier proportion on the wood-consumption rate of the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Sociobiol 13:145–151

    Google Scholar 

  • Su N-Y, Scheffrahn RH (1986) A method to access, trap, and monitor field populations of the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Sociobiology 12:299–304

    Google Scholar 

  • Su N-Y, Scheffrahn RH (1988) Foraging population and territory of the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in an urban environment. Sociobiology 14:353–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Tschinkel WR (1992) Brood raiding and the population dynamics of founding and incipient colonies of the fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. Ecol Entomol 17:179–188

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wasmann E (1896) Viaggio di Leonardo Fea in Birmania e regioni vicine LXXII. Neue Termitophilen und Termiten aus Indien. I–III. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova (2) 16:613–630

    Google Scholar 

  • Wood TG (1988) Termites and the soil environment. Biol Fertil Soils 6:228–236

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank Stephanie Osorio, Kelly Ugarelli and Charlene Barginda for technical assistance, and Robin Giblin-Davis and two anonymous reviewers for providing constructive comments on this manuscript. This work was supported in part by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch project number FLA-FTL-005342.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Entomology and Nematology, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

    T. Chouvenc & N.-Y. Su

  2. Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

    M. Basille

Authors
  1. T. Chouvenc
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Basille
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. N.-Y. Su
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. Chouvenc.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 225 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Chouvenc, T., Basille, M. & Su, NY. Role of accelerated developmental pathway and limited nurturing capacity on soldier developmental instability in subterranean termite incipient colonies. Insect. Soc. 64, 477–483 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-017-0566-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-017-0566-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation