Abstract
The search for food in the French subterranean termite Reticulitermes santonensis De Feytaud is organized in part by chemical trails laid with the secretion of their abdominal sternal gland. Trail-laying and -following behavior of R. santonensis was investigated in bioassays. During foraging for food termites walk slowly (on average, 2.3 mm/s) and lay a dotted trail by dabbing the abdomen at intervals on the ground. When food is discovered they return at a quick pace (on average, 8.9 mm/s) to the nest, laying a trail for recruiting nestmates to the food source. While laying this recruitment trail the workers drag the abdomen continuously on the ground. The recruitment trail is highly attractive: it is followed within a few seconds, by more nestmates, and at a quicker pace (on average, 6.4 mm/s) than foraging trails (on average, 2.9 mm/s). The difference between foraging and recruitment trails in R. santonensis could be attributed to different quantities of trail pheromone. A caste-specific difference in trail pheromone thresholds, with workers of R. santonensis being more sensitive to trails than soldiers, was also documented: soldiers respond only to trails with a high concentration of trail pheromone.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Bacchus, S. (1979). New exocrine gland on the legs of some Rhinotermitidae (Isopera). Int. J. Insect Morphol. Embryol. 8: 135-142.
Birch, A. J., Brown, W. V., Corrie, J. E. T., and Moore, B. P. (1972). Neocembrene A, a termite trail pheromone. J. Chem. Soc. Perkin Trans. 1: 2653-2658.
Bordereau, C., Robert, A., Laduguie, N., Bonnard,O., LeQuéré, J. L., and Yamaoka, R. (1993). Détection du (Z,Z,E)-3,6,8-dodecatrien-1-ol par les ouvriers et les essaimants de deux espéces de termites champignonnistes: Pseudacanthotermes spiniger et P. militaris (Termitidae, Macrotermitinae). Actes Coll. Ins. Soc. 8: 145-149.
Clément, J.-L., Lemaire, M., Nagnan, P., Escoubas, P., Bagnères, A.-G., and Joulie, C. (1988). Chemical ecology of European termites of the genus Reticulitermes: Allomones, pheromones and kairomones. Sociobiology 14: 165-174.
Costa-Leonardo, A. M. (1994). The leg exocrine system in Serritermes serrifer (Hagen, 1858), phylogenetic implications (Isoptera: Serritermitidae). Insectes Soc. 41: 111-114.
Dudley, P. H., and Beaumont, J. (1889). Observations on the termites or white ants of the isthmus of Panama. Trans. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 8: 85-114.
Fadl Ali, M., and Morgan, E. D. (1990). Chemical communication in insect communities:Aguide to insect pheromones with special emphasis on social insects. Biol. Rev. Cambr. Philos. Soc. 65: 227-247.
Garnier-Sillam, E. (1983). Le polyéthisme chez Reticulitermes lucifugus santonensis (Isoptera-Rhinotermitidae). B. Contribution à l'étude du comportement individuel de prospection et de recrutement lors de la recherche de nourriture chez les ouvriers. Insectes Soc. 30: 27-44.
Grace, J. K. (1991). Semiochemical mediation and manipulation of Reticulitermes behavior (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Sociobiology 19: 147-162.
Grace, J. K., Wood, D. L., and Frankie, G. W. (1988). Trail-following behavior of Reticulitermes hesperus Banks (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). J. Chem. Ecol. 14: 653-667.
Grace, J. K., Wood, D. L., Kubo, I., and Kim, M. (1995). Behavioural and chemical investigation of trail pheromone from the termite Reticulitermes hesperus Banks (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). J. Appl. Entomol. 119: 501-505.
Grassi, B., and Sandias, A. (1893). Costituzione e sviluppo della società dei termitidi. Atti Accad. Gioenia Sci. Nat. Catania 6: 1-75.
Heidecker, J. L., and Leuthold, R. H. (1984). The organisation of collective foraging in the harvester termite Hodotermes mossambicus (Isoptera). Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 14: 195-202.
Hölldobler, B., and Wilson, E. O. (1990). The Ants, Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Howard, R., Matsumura, F., and Coppel, H. C. (1976). Trail-following pheromones of the Rhinotermitidae: Approaches to their authentication and specificity. J. Chem. Ecol. 2: 147-166.
Kaib, M. (1990). Intra-and interspecific chemical signals in the termite Schedorhinotermes-Production sites, chemistry and behaviour. In Gribakin, F. G., Wiese, K., and Popov, A. V. (eds.), Sensory Systems and Communication in Arthropods, Birkhäuser Verlag, Basel, pp. 26-32.
Kaib, M., Bruinsma, O., and Leuthold, R. H. (1982). Trail-following in termites: Evidence for a multicomponent system. J. Chem. Ecol. 8: 1193-1205.
Laduguie, N., Robert, A., Bonnard, O., Vieau, F., Le Quéré, J. L., Sémon, E., and Bordereau, C. (1994a). Isolation and identification of (3Z,6Z,8E)-3,6,8-dodecatrien-1-ol in Reticulitermes santonensis Feytaud (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae): Roles in worker trail-following and in alate sex-attraction behavior. J. Insect Physiol. 40: 781-787.
Laduguie N., Robert, A., Salini, N., and Bordereau, C. (1994b). Les termites et le dodecatrienol. Actes Coll. Ins. Soc. 9: 27-34.
Lüscher, M., and Müller, B. (1960). Ein spurbildendes Sekret bei Termiten. Naturwissenschaften 21: 503.
Lys, J. A., and Leuthold, R. H. (1991). Task-specific distribution of the two worker castes in extranidal activities in Macrotermes bellicosus (Smeathman): Observation of behaviour during food acquisition. Insectes Soc. 38: 161-170.
Matsumura, F., Coppel, H. C., and Tai, A. (1968). Isolation and identification of termite trail-following pheromone. Nature 219: 963-964.
McDowell, P. G., and Oloo, G. W. (1984). Isolation, identification and biological activity of trail-following pheromone of termite Trinervitermes bettonianus (Sjöstedt) (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae). J. Chem. Ecol. 10: 835-851.
Moore, B. P. (1966). Isolation of the scent-trail pheromone of an Australian termite. Nature 211: 746-747.
Moore, B. P. (1974). Pheromones in termite societies. In Birch, M. C. (ed.), Pheromones, American Elsevier, New York, pp. 250-266.
Noirot, C. (1969). Glands and secretions. In Krishna, K., and Weesner, F. (eds.), Biology of the Termites, Vol. 1, Academic Press, New York, pp. 89-1233.
Noirot, C. (1995). The sternal gland of termites: Segmental pattern, phylogenetic implications. Insectes Soc. 42: 321-323.
Oloo, G. W. (1981). Specificity of termite trails: Analysis of natural trails of Trinervitermes, Macrotermes, and Odontotermes from sympatric populations. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 29: 162-168.
Oloo, G. W., and Leuthold, R. H. (1979). Influence of food on trail-laying and recruitment behaviour in Trinervitermes bettonianus (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae). Entomol. Exp. Appl. 26: 267-278.
Oloo, G. W., and McDowell, P. G. (1982). Interspecific trail-following and evidence of similarity of trails of Trinervitermes species from different habitats. Insect Sci. Appl. 3: 157-161.
Reinhard, J., Hertel, H., and Kaib, M. (1997). Systematic search for food in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes santonensis De Feytaud (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae). Insectes Soc. 44: 147-158.
Ritter, F. J., and Coenen-Saraber, C. M. A. (1969). Food attractants and a pheromone as trail-following substances for the saintonge termite: Multiplicity of the trail-following substances in L. trabea-infected wood. Entomol Exp. Appl. 12: 611-622.
Runcie, C. D. (1987). Behavioral evidence for multicomponent trail pheromone in the termite, Reticulitermes f lavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). J. Chem. Ecol. 13: 1967-1978.
Schedel, A. (1986). Untersuchungen zum Furagiersystem von Schedorhinotermes lamanianus: Der Einfluβ von exokrinen Drüsen auf das unterchiedliche Verhalten von Arbeitern und Soldaten während des Furagierens, Diploma thesis, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
Schedel, A., and Kaib, M. (1987). Polyethism during foraging in Schedorhinotermes lamanianus in unprotected areas: The role of exocrine glands. In Eder, J., and Rembold, H. (eds.), Chemistry and Biology of Social Insects, Verlag J. Peperny, München. p. 416.
Stuart, A. M. (1961). Mechanism of trail-laying in two species of termites. Nature 189: 419.
Stuart, A. M. (1970). The role of chemicals in termite communication. In Johnston, J. W., Moulton, D. G., and Turk, A. (eds.), Communication by Chemical Signals. Advances in Chemoreception, Vol. 2, Academic Press, New York, pp. 79-106.
Tai, A., Matsumura, F., and Coppel, H. C. (1969). Chemical identification of the trail-following pheromone of a southern subterranean termite. J. Org. Chem. 34: 2180-2182.
Tokoro, M., Takahashi, M., Tsunoda, K., and Yamaoka, R. (1989). Isolation and primary structure of the trail pheromone of the termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Wood Res. 76: 29-38.
Tokoro, M., Yamaoka, R., Hayashiya, K., Takahashi, M., and Nishimoto, K. (1990). Evidence for trail pheromone precursor in termite Reticulitermes speratus (Kolbe) (Rhinotermitidae: Isoptera). J. Chem. Ecol. 16: 2549-2557.
Tokoro, M., Yamaoka, R., Hayashiya, K., Takahashi, M., and Tsunoda, K. (1991). Isolation and identification of the trail pheromone of the subterranean termite, Reticulitermes speratus (Kolbe) (Rhinotermitidae: Isoptera). Wood Res. 78: 1-14.
Traniello, J. F. A. (1982). Recruitment and orientation components in a termite pheromone. Naturwissenschaften 69: 343-344.
Traniello, J. F. A., and Busher, C. (1985). Chemical regulation of polyethism during foraging in the neotropical termite, Nasutitermes costalis. J. Chem. Ecol. 11: 319-332.
Wobst, B., Farine, J.-P., Ginies, C., Sémon, E., Robert, A., Bonnard, O., Connétable, S., and Bordereau, C. (1999). (Z,Z,E)-3,6,8-Dodecatrien-1-ol, a major component of trail-following pheromone in two sympatric termite species, Reticulitermes lucifugus grassei and R. santonensis. J. Chem. Ecol. 25: 1305-1318.
Wolfrum, U., and Kaib, M. (1988). KastenspezifischesVerhalten der Termite Schedorhinotermes lamanianus und dessen Beziehung zu Unterschieden in Ultrastruktur, Häufigkeit und Topographie antennaler Sensillen. Mitt. dtsch. Ges. allg. angew. Ent. 6: 86-90.
Zar, J. H. (1974). Biostatistical Analysis, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Reinhard, J., Kaib, M. Trail Communication During Foraging and Recruitment in the Subterranean Termite Reticulitermes santonensis De Feytaud (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae). Journal of Insect Behavior 14, 157–171 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007881510237
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007881510237