Summary
Nest populations grow rapidly while the nest is young, then stabilise to a fairly constant level in maturity. Relationships between population parameters, queen's weight and fungus comb weight are all approximately linear, with the exception of soldier and presoldiers numbers.
Relationships between mound parameters and nest population are approximately linear, so that data from surveys of mound size and density can be used to estimate termite populations.
Resume
Les populations des nids croissent rapidement dans la phase juvénile, puis deviennent stables à maturité. Les relations entre les paramètres de la population, et les poids de la reine et des meules à champignons, sont approximativement linéaires pour tous les composants, les soldats et les présoldats exceptés.
Les relations entre les paramètres des nids et leurs populations sont approximativement linéaires. Par conséquent, on peut estimer les populations des termites à partir des études de ces paramètres et densités de nids.
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Darlington, J.P.E.C., Dransfield, R.D. Size relationships in nest populations and mound parameters in the termiteMacrotermes michaelseni in Kenya. Ins. Soc 34, 165–180 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224082
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224082