Search results for "MACROTERMITINAE"
showing 7 items of 7 documents
Species specificity of trail pheromones of fungus-growing termites from northern Vietnam
2001
Trail-following pheromones were studied in four fungus-growing termites from northern Vietnam: Macrotermes annandalei, M. barneyi, Odontotermes hainanensis and O. maesodensis. From bioassays, we suggest that trail pheromones of these species are composed of a common or anony-mous signal, as well as species-specific signals. The anonymous signal has been identified by GC-MS as (Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol for each species from extracts of sternal glands and from solid phase microextraction of the surface of their sternal gland. This compound is secreted in much higher quantities (up to 1.4 ng/worker) than dodecatrienol, another anonymous signal of trail-following in termites. (Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol is a…
A new C12 alcohol identified as a sex pheromone and a trail-following pheromone in termites: the diene (Z,Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol
2003
0028-1042 (Print) Journal Article; The diunsaturated C12 alcohol (Z,Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol (dodecadienol) has been characterized by GC-MS and FTIR as a novel releaser pheromone in termites. This alcohol identified in Ancistrotermes pakistanicus (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae) possesses a double pheromonal function which again illustrates the chemical parsimony of termites compared with other social insects. In workers, dodecadienol elicits trail-following at a very low concentration (activity threshold at 0.1 pg/cm of trail); in male alates it induces trail-following at a low concentration (1-10 pg/cm) and sexual attraction at a higher concentration (about 1 ng). Traces of the monounsaturate…
Dispersal flight and colony development in the fungus-growing termites Pseudacanthotermes spiniger and P. militaris
2012
International audience; Pseudacanthotermes spiniger and P. militaris are two African fungus-growing termites (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae) which may become pests in disturbed agrosystems where they often live in sympatry. To study their development and their reproductive strategies, colonies of both species were reared in the laboratory for 20 and 17 years, respectively, after their foundation from reproductive pairs. The first steps of development were in great part similar in both species, although P. spiniger favoured the defence during the juvenile period, while P. militaris tended to favour a rapid development. While P. spiniger colonies did not produce alates until year 7 of colony li…
(3Z,6Z,8E)-3,6,8-dodecatrien-1-ol : Sex pheromone in a higher fungus-growing termite, Pseudacanthotermes spiniger (Isoptera, Macrotermitinae)
1991
International audience; The female sex pheromone of the fungus-growing termitePseudacanthotermes spiniger (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae) was isolated from sternal glands of alates. The compound inducing attraction and excitation in males was identified as the (3Z,6Z,8E)-3,6,8-dodecatrien-1-ol by GC-MS, microhydrogenation, GC-FTIR, and NMR. This unsaturated alcohol is present in both sexes but in much higher quantities in females than in males (about 10 times). The hypothesis is suggested that this alcohol, which is detected at extremely low concentrations by the workers ofP. spiniger, may be used either as a trail-following pheromone or a sex pheromone according to concentrations and to targ…
Burial behaviour by dealates of the termite Pseudacanthotermes spiniger (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae) induced by chemical signals from termite corpses
2011
In order to maintain healthy colonies, termite workers dispose of the cadavers of dead nest mates by cannibalism, burial, or necrophoresis. However, when multiple reproductives found a new colony by pleometrosis, there are no worker castes at the early stages of the foundation to eliminate or isolate the corpses. In this study, we showed that in young pleometrotic colonies, reproductives of Pseudacanthotermes spiniger had the ability to perform this task. Because of the claustral conditions, and the potential inability of the dealates to feed on their own, their behaviour was restricted to the burial of the cadaver within the initial chamber. This burial behaviour, previously not reported i…
Efficacy of hexaflumuron against the fungus-growing termitePseudacanthotermesspiniger(Sjöstedt) (isoptera, macrotermitinae)
1998
The efficacy of hexaflumuron, a benzophenylurea insecticide, has been studied for the first time on a fungus-growing termite (Pseudacanthotermes spiniger Sjostedt, Macrotermitinae). Results show that hexaflumuron could be useful in treating infestations of such pest species, which are of great economic importance in many tropical and equatorial countries. Foraging workers harvested and introduced treated food into the nest and subsequently contaminated the brood by trophallaxis. Hexaflumuron showed potent larvicidal activity. The compound did not appear to be rapidly degraded by the digestive enzymes of termite workers, nor by the symbiotic fungus Termitomyces eurhizus Heim growing on fungu…
(Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol, a novel termite trail pheromone identified after solid phase microextraction from Macrotermes annandalei
2001
0022-1910 (Print) Journal Article; (Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol was isolated and identified by GC-MS as the major component of the trail-following pheromone from whole body and sternal gland extracts of workers of the fungus-growing termite, Macrotermes annandalei (Silvestri) (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae). For the first time, this trail pheromone was also identified by using solid phase microextraction from the surface of the secretory sternal gland of workers. Bioassays showed that synthetic dodecenol induced both orientation and recruitment behavioral effects. The activity threshold of (Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol in eliciting trail-following is similar to that of (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodeca-3,6,8-trien-1-ol in the …