Measurements of CO2 production of whole termite colonies showed that respiration intensity varies slightly during the daily cycle, that the relation between standard metabolism and colony size is best described with a negative exponential, taking into account the proportion of the various castes. Larger colonies were more efficient in their energy use, suggesting that energetic considerations may contribute in explaining the maintenance in evolution of complex societies.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0031-9384(99)00011-6 | DOI Listing |
Fungal Biol
February 2025
Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen East, Denmark. Electronic address:
Fungus-farming termite colonies host members of the genus Xylaria as stow-away fungi that emerge from deteriorating fungal gardens (combs) or dying termite nests. Fungus-farming termites originated in Africa, where the highest host diversity - eleven termite genera - exists, and later colonised parts of Asia, where five extant termite genera are known. Theory predicts that symbiont diversity should correlate with host diversity, but while 17 termite-associated Xylaria species have been described from Asia, a mere three African species have been formally described.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Insect Physiol
December 2024
Department of Entomology, VA Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061-0319, United States.
The role of nitrogen during insect development and reproduction is key in the success of a species, and is of primary importance in wood feeding taxa. Based on comparison of xylophagous, one-piece termites to the termite sister group, subsocial wood-feeding cockroaches in the genus Cryptocercus, it has been proposed that the evolution of termite eusociality involved a fundamental shift in nitrogen allocation strategies. Cryptocercus exhibits a nitrogen storage economy, with individuals gradually increasing in size and cuticular density over a years-long developmental period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Econ Entomol
December 2024
Urban Entomology, Partho Dhang Consultancy, Makati City, Philippines.
Chlorfluazuron was discovered and developed in the Asia-Pacific region by Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha (ISK) Japan and launched in the 1980s. The compound is a benzoylphenyl urea and acts as an insect growth regulator by inhibiting chitin synthesis in insects. Subsequently, Ensystex developed chlorfluazuron for termite baits, with test results demonstrating that it met key criteria for good termite baits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiosystems
January 2025
Division of Industrial Mathematics, National Institute for Mathematical Sciences Daejeon, 34047, Republic of Korea.
Subterranean termites build complex underground tunnel networks to efficiently gather food. Empirical observations indicate specific individuals are dedicated to tunneling, rarely interchanging tasks. However, considering the limited tunneling energy of termite populations, it is reasonable to expect regular task shifts between fatigued and rested individuals to maintain continuous tunneling and optimize foraging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInsects
November 2024
Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (SAAF), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
The yellow-necked dry-wood termite (Fabricius, 1793) (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae) is an important pest that infests wood in Europe. An increase in attacks by has been seen in buildings and in churches in Palermo (Italy), with attacks on both structural elements and artefacts. Future climate changes are expected to lead to increasing temperatures, which will probably affect the pest status of this species, which is difficult to control.
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