Discovery of an underground chamber to protect kings and queens during winter in temperate termites.

ABSTRACT: Overwintering is a critical part of the annual cycle for species that live in temperate, polar, and alpine regions. Consequently, low-temperature biology is a key determinant of temperate species distribution. Termites are distributed predominantly in tropical regions, and a limited number of species are found in the temperate zone. Here, in the termite Reticulitermes speratus, we report the discovery of an underground chamber that protects kings and queens to survive the winter, which is separate from the one they used during the warmer breeding season. In the spring, the royals inhabited decayed logs on the ground, then moved to their underground chamber located in the roots of stumps in the fall. The winter minimum temperature measured in the royal chamber was higher than that in the lo

SUBMITTER: Takata M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10232455 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature