Identification of a colony- and dose-dependent worker aggregation pheromone in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes virginicus.

ABSTRACT: Collective behaviors of social insects are often regulated by pheromones. In subterranean termites, some workers forage for and exploit decaying wood for new food resources while forming tunnels from their nest. Colonizing new food resources requires workers to build and disinfect tunnels and chambers inside the nest and ingest decaying wood; therefore subterranean termite colonies should have mechanisms to establish and maintain groups of workers to perform these functions. Recently, an aggregation pheromone was identified in workers of the termite Reticulitermes speratus, which induces quick attraction of nestmate workers and prolonged aggregation to the site of attraction. In this study, we extended this work to another species of Reticulitermes and identified a worker aggregation phero

SUBMITTER: Mitaka Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11437058 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature