Development of Castes in Higher Termites

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Two spp. of termites were studied in southeastern Arizona, Gnathamiter-mes per plexus and Tenuirostritermes tenuirostris. In the former many apterous individuals like the workers but slightly smaller and with unpigmented heads were present. These were the late nymphal instar of the sterile castes. The older apterous nymphs may be of two types, one to become workers the other to become soldier nymphs; or they may be indiffer ent, capable of producing either workers or soldiers. In Tenuirostriterm.es, 3 major lines leading respectively to the nasute, the worker, and the alate types, are differentiated early in development. Nymphs initiating the worker line arise from large bodied nymphs probably of the first instar. These do not molt until several days after appearance of nymphs of the nasute line. The young of the alate line arise from large bodied nymphs identical to those which produced the worker line. Over 400 pairs of dealated reproductives of each sp. were set up and allowed to develop as primary incipient colonies. In Gnathamitermes nymphs do not complete development until the following year. In the primary pair contain all the food needed to allow the large primary group to develop to the definitive caste, worker or nasute and development is rapid.
Keywords

This publication has 4 references indexed in Scilit: