Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Scent of a queen—cuticular hydrocarbons specific for female reproductives in lower termites

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Naturwissenschaften Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In social insects, it is assumed that signals of the queen inform nestmates about her reproductive status. Thus, workers forego their own reproduction if the queen signals high fertility. In hemimetabolous termites, little is known about reproductive inhibition, but evidence exists for a royal-pair control. Workers of lower termites exhibit a high developmental flexibility and are potentially able to become reproductives, but the presence of a fertile reproductive restrains them from reaching sexual maturity. The nature of this control, however, remains unknown. Here, we report on qualitative differences in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles between queens and workers of the basal drywood termite Cryptotermes secundus. Queens were characterized by a shift to long-chained and branched hydrocarbons. Most remarkably, similar chemical patterns are regarded as fertility cues of reproductives in social Hymenoptera. This might suggest that both groups of social insects convergently evolved similar chemical signatures. The present study provides deeper insights into how termites might have socially exploited these signatures from sexual communication in their cockroach-like ancestor.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  • Bagneres A, Riviere G, Clement J (1998) Artificial neural network modeling of caste odor discrimination based on cuticular hydrocarbons in termites. Chemoecology 8:201–209

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bordereau C (1985) The role of pheromones in termite caste differentiation. In: Watson J, Okot-Kober B, Noirot C (eds) Caste differentiation in social insects. Pergamon, Oxford, pp 221–226

    Google Scholar 

  • Brent CS, Schal C, Vargo EL (2005) Endocrine changes in maturing primary queens of Zootermopsis angusticollis. J Insect Physiol 51:1200–1209

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson DA, Bernier UR, Sutton BD (1998) Elution patterns from capillary GC for methyl-branched alkanes. J Chem Ecol 24:1845–1865

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cuvillier-Hot V, Cobb M, Malosse C, Peeters C (2001) Sex, age and ovarian activity affect cuticular hydrocarbons in Diacamma ceylonense, a queenless ant. J Insect Physiol 47:485–493

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cuvillier-Hot V, Renault V, Peeters C (2005) Rapid modification in the olfactory signal of ants following a change in reproductive status. Naturwissenschaften 92:73–77

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dietemann V, Peeters C, Liebig J, Thivet V, Hölldobler B (2003) Cuticular hydrocarbons mediate discrimination of reproductives and nonreproductives in the ant Myrmecia gulosa. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 100:10341–10346

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dronnet S, Lohou C, Christides JP, Bagneres AG (2006) Cuticular hydrocarbon composition reflects genetic relationship among colonies of the introduced termite Reticulitermes santonensis feytaud. J Chem Ecol 32:1027–1042

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eliyahu D, Nojima S, Capracotta SS, Comins DL, Schal C (2008) Identification of cuticular lipids eliciting interspecific courtship in the German cockroach, Blattella germanica. Naturwissenschaften 95:403–412

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grassé PP (1982) Termitologia: anatomie, physiologie, reproduction des termites. Masson, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartmann A, D’Ettorre P, Jones GR, Heinze J (2005) Fertility signaling—the proximate mechanism of worker policing in a clonal ant. Naturwissenschaften 92:282–286

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haverty M, Grace J, Nelson L, Yamamoto R (1996) Intercaste, intercolony, and temporal variation in cuticular hydrocarbons of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). J Chem Ecol 22:1813–1834

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haverty M, Collins M, Nelson L, Thorne BL (1997) Cuticular hydrocarbons of termites of the British Virgin Islands. J Chem Ecol 23:927–964

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heinze J, Stengl B, Sledge M (2002) Worker rank, reproductive status and cuticular hydrocarbon signature in the ant, Pachycondyla cf. inversa. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 52:59–65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howard R, Blomquist GJ (1982) Chemical ecology and biochemistry of insect hydrocarbons. Annu Rev Entomol 27:149–172

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Howard R, McDaniel C, Nelson D, Blomquist G, Gelbaum L, Zalkow L (1982) Cuticular Hydrocarbons of Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks) and their role as potential species- and caste-recognition cues. J Chem Ecol 8:1227–1239

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Inward D, Beccaloni G, Eggleton P (2007) Death of an order: a comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study confirms that termites are eusocial cockroaches. Biol Lett 3:331–335

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Keller L, Nonacs P (1993) The role of queen pheromones in social insects: queen control or queen signal? Anim Behav 45:787–794

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korb J (2005) Regulation of sexual development in the basal termite Cryptotermes secundus: mutilation, pheromonal manipulation or honest signal? Naturwissenschaften 92:45–49

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Korb J, Hartfelder K (2008) Life history and development—a framework for understanding developmental plasticity in lower termites. Biol Rev 83:295–313

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liebig J, Peeters C, Oldham N, Markstädter C, Hölldobler B (2000) Are variations in cuticular hydrocarbons of queens and workers a reliable signal of fertility in the ant Harpegnathos saltator? Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97:4124–4131

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lommelen E, Johnson CA, Drijfhout FP, Billen J, Wenseleers T, Gobin B (2006) Cuticular hydrocarbons provide reliable cues of fertility in the ant Gnamptogenys striatula. J Chem Ecol 32:2023–2034

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lüscher M (1974) Kasten und Kastendifferenzierung bei niederen Termiten. In: Schmidt G (ed) Sozialpolymorphismus bei Insekten. Wissenschaftliche Verlagsgesellschaft, Stuttgart, pp 694–793

    Google Scholar 

  • Noirot C (1990) Sexual castes and reproductive strategies in termites. In: Engels W (ed) An evolutionary approach to castes and reproduction. Springer, Berlin, pp 5–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Park YI, Bland JM, Raina AK (2004) Factors affecting post-flight behavior in primary reproductives of the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). J Insect Physiol 50:539–546

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peeters C, Monnin T, Malosse C (1999) Cuticular hydrocarbons correlated with reproductive status in a queenless ant. Proc R Soc Lond B 266:1323–1327

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sevala V, Bagneres A, Kuenzli M, Blomquist G, Schal C (2000) Cuticular hydrocarbons of the dampwood termite, Zootermopsis nevadensis: caste differences and role of lipophorin in transport of hydrocarbons and hydrocarbon metabolites. J Chem Ecol 26:765–789

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sledge MF, Trinca I, Massolo A, Boscaro F, Turillazzi S (2004) Variation in cuticular hydrocarbon signatures, hormonal correlates and establishment of reproductive dominance in a polistine wasp. J Insect Physiol 50:73–83

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sramkova A, Schulz C, Twele R, Francke W, Ayasse M (2008) Fertility signals in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Naturwissenschaften 95:515–522

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weil T, Rehli M, Korb J (2007) Molecular basis for the reproductive division of labour in a lower termite. BMC Genomics 8:198.1–198.9

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Henriette Seichter for her help collecting termites. Parks and Wildlife Commission and Environment Australia gave permission to collect and export the termites. The experiments comply with the current laws of the country in which they were performed. This work was supported by a Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) grant to Michael Rehli and Judith Korb.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology I, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstrasse 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany

    Tobias Weil, Johannes Kroiss & Erhard Strohm

  2. Behavioral Biology, University of Osnabrueck, Barbarastrasse 11, 49069, Osnabrueck, Germany

    Katharina Hoffmann & Judith Korb

  3. Department of Hematology and Oncology, University Hospital, F.-J.-Strauss-Allee 11, 93042, Regensburg, Germany

    Tobias Weil

Authors
  1. Tobias Weil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Katharina Hoffmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Johannes Kroiss
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Erhard Strohm
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Judith Korb
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tobias Weil.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material

Supplementary Table 1

Comparison of the 25 caste-specific compounds (according to MCA analysis) using Mann–Whitney U tests. (DOC 52.5KB)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Weil, T., Hoffmann, K., Kroiss, J. et al. Scent of a queen—cuticular hydrocarbons specific for female reproductives in lower termites. Naturwissenschaften 96, 315–319 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-008-0475-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-008-0475-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation