Smells Like Home: Chemically Mediated Co-Habitation of Two Termite Species in a Single Nest

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61388963%3A_____%2F16%3A00469190" target="_blank" >RIV/61388963:_____/16:00469190 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/00216208:11310/16:10335311

Result on the web

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10886-016-0756-1" target="_blank" >http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10886-016-0756-1</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10886-016-0756-1" target="_blank" >10.1007/s10886-016-0756-1</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Smells Like Home: Chemically Mediated Co-Habitation of Two Termite Species in a Single Nest

Original language description

Termite nests often are referred to as the most elaborate constructions of animals. However, some termite species do not build a nest at all and instead found colonies inside the nests of other termites. Since these so-called inquilines do not need to be in direct contact with the host population, the two colonies usually live in separate parts of the nest. Adaptations of both the inquiline and its host are likely to occur to maintain the spatial exclusion and reduce the costs of potential conflicts. Among them, mutual avoidance, based on chemical cues, is expected. We investigated chemical aspects of cohabitation between Constrictotermes cavifrons (Nasutitermitinae) and its obligatory inquiline Inquilinitermes inquilinus (Termitinae). Inquiline soldiers produce in their frontal glands a blend of wax esters, consisting of the C-12 alcohols (3Z)-dodec enol, (3Z,6Z)-dodecadienol, and dodecanol, esterified with different fatty acids. The C12 alcohols appear to be cleaved gradually from the wax esters, and they occur in the frontal gland, in soldier headspace, and in the walls of the inquiline part of the nest. Electrophysiological experiments revealed that (3Z)-dodecenol and (3Z,6Z)-dodecadienol are perceived by workers of both species. Bioassays indicated that inquiline soldier heads, as well as the two synthetic compounds, are attractive to conspecific workers and elicit an arresting behavior, while host soldiers and workers avoid these chemicals at biologically relevant amounts. These observations support the hypothesis that chemically mediated spatial separation of the host and the inquiline is an element of a conflict-avoidance strategy in these species.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_x - Unclassified - Peer-reviewed scientific article (Jimp, Jsc and Jost)

CEP classification

EG - Zoology

OECD FORD branch

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Project

<a href="/en/project/GP13-25354P" target="_blank" >GP13-25354P: Evolutionary trends in chemical and mechanical defence in the termite subfamily Termitinae</a><br>

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2016

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal of Chemical Ecology

ISSN

0098-0331

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

42

Issue of the periodical within the volume

10

Country of publishing house

US - UNITED STATES

Number of pages

12

Pages from-to

1070-1081

UT code for WoS article

000388807500010

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-84988359645