Nestmate recognition in defense against nest invasion by conspecifics during swarming in a one-piece nesting termite
Author
dc.contributor.author
Aguilera Olivares, Ledda Ivonne
Author
dc.contributor.author
Rizo, Jose F.
Author
dc.contributor.author
Burgos Lefimil, Camila
Author
dc.contributor.author
Flores Prado, Luis
Author
dc.contributor.author
Niemeyer Marich, August
Admission date
dc.date.accessioned
2017-01-05T21:10:45Z
Available date
dc.date.available
2017-01-05T21:10:45Z
Publication date
dc.date.issued
2016
Cita de ítem
dc.identifier.citation
Revista Chilena de Historia Natural. Volumen: 89 Número de artículo: 11
es_ES
Identifier
dc.identifier.other
10.1186/s40693-016-0063-9
Identifier
dc.identifier.uri
https://repositorio.uchile.cl/handle/2250/142304
Abstract
dc.description.abstract
Background: In one-piece nesting termites, which nest and forage in a single piece of wood, soldier production increases during the swarming period, i.e. when the risk of invasion of their substrate and hence of their colony by dealates in search of a nesting substrate increases. In Neotermes chilensis, a one-piece nesting termite endemic to Chile, we hypothesized: i) that during swarming soldiers would defend their colony by showing higher aggressiveness toward non-nestmate than toward nestmate dealates, ii) that aggressiveness would negatively correlate with genetic relatedness of interacting soldier/dealate pairs and iii) that nestmate recognition would be based on differences in cues provided by cuticular compounds (CC) between nestmates and non-nestmate dealates.
Methods: The first hypothesis was tested using bioassays in which a soldier was confronted with a nestmate or a non-nestmate dealate; the second hypothesis by using microsatellites to assess genetic relatedness of the interacting pairs; and the third hypothesis using bioassays in which a soldier was confronted with a nestmate or a non-nestmate dead dealate with or without its CC and with dead dealates with interchanged CC between nestmate and non-nestmate.
Results: Soldiers were more aggressive toward non-nestmate than nestmate dealates, aggressiveness was inversely correlated with genetic relatedness of the interacting pair, and CC accounted for the differences in aggressiveness towards nestmate and non-nestmate dealates.
Conclusions: During swarming, soldiers of N. chilensis protect their nest against invasion by non-nestmate conspecific dealates; discrimination is based on CC and aggressiveness correlates inversely with genetic relatedness of the interacting soldier/dealate pairs.