Termite Vibration Sensing: The Chordotonal Organs and Their Appendages.

ABSTRACT: Eusocial insects like termites and ants use diverse communication methods, including pheromones, sound, and vibrations. Termites, blind and with fewer glands, rely heavily on vibrations for foraging, communication, and predator avoidance. Their appendages detect subtle signals amid noise, though the underlying physiological mechanisms remain largely unknown and understudied. We explore the role of termite legs and antennae as sensory probes. These appendages receive the vibration signals, which are detected by the leg's subgenual organ and the Johnston's organ in the antenna, and which in turn convert these mechanical environmental signals into nerve impulses sent to the nervous system. We compare these appendages in termites and ants, two eusocial, subterranean insect groups that share ec

SUBMITTER: Sansom TM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12531595 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature