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Thakur H, Agarwal S, Hradecký J, Sharma G, Li HF, Yang SE, Sehadová H, Chandel RS, Hyliš M, Mathur V, Šobotník J, Sillam-Dussès D. The Trail-Following Communication in Stylotermes faveolus and S. halumicus (Blattodea, Isoptera, Stylotermitidae). J Chem Ecol 2023; 49:642-651. [PMID: 37566284 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-023-01447-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Stylotermitidae appear peculiar among all termites, feeding in trunks of living trees in South Asia only. The difficulty to collect them limits the ability to study them, and they thus still belong to critically unknown groups in respect to their biology. We used a combination of microscopic observations, chemical analysis and behavioural tests, to determine the source and chemical nature of the trail-following pheromone of Stylotermes faveolus from India and S. halumicus from Taiwan. The sternal gland located at the 5th abdominal segment was the exclusive source of the trail-following pheromone in both S. faveolus and S. halumicus, and it is made up of class I, II and III secretory cells. Using gas chromatography coupled mass spectrometry, (3Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol (DOE) was identified as the trail-following pheromone which elicits strong behavioural responses in workers at a threshold around 10- 4 ng/cm and 0.1 ng/gland. Our results confirm the switch from complex aldehyde trail-following pheromones occurring in the basal groups to simpler linear alcohols in the ancestor of Kalotermitidae and Neoisoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Thakur
- Department of Entomology, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Surbhi Agarwal
- Animal-Plant Interactions Lab, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara College, Benito Juarez Marg, Dhaula Kuan, 110021, New Delhi, India
| | - Jaromír Hradecký
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Garima Sharma
- Animal-Plant Interactions Lab, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara College, Benito Juarez Marg, Dhaula Kuan, 110021, New Delhi, India
| | - Hou-Feng Li
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, 145 Xingda Rd, 402202, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shang-En Yang
- Department of Entomology, National Chung Hsing University, 145 Xingda Rd, 402202, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Hana Sehadová
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ravinder S Chandel
- Department of Entomology, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Mirek Hyliš
- Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vartika Mathur
- Animal-Plant Interactions Lab, Department of Zoology, Sri Venkateswara College, Benito Juarez Marg, Dhaula Kuan, 110021, New Delhi, India
| | - Jan Šobotník
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - David Sillam-Dussès
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, LEEC, UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France
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Mitaka Y, Akino T. A Review of Termite Pheromones: Multifaceted, Context-Dependent, and Rational Chemical Communications. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.595614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Termite colonies, composed of large numbers of siblings, develop an important caste-based division of labor; individuals in these societies interact via intra- or intercaste chemical communications. For more than 50 years, termites have been known to use a variety of pheromones to perform tasks necessary for maintenance of their societies, similar to eusocial hymenopterans. Although trail-following pheromones have been chemically identified in various termites, other types of pheromones have not been elucidated chemically or functionally. In the past decade, however, chemical compositions and biological functions have been successfully identified for several types of termite pheromones; accordingly, the details of the underlying pheromone communications have been gradually revealed. In this review, we summarize both the functions of all termite pheromones identified so far and the chemical interactions among termites and other organisms. Subsequently, we argue how termites developed their sophisticated pheromone communication. We hypothesize that termites have diverted defensive and antimicrobial substances to pheromones associated in caste recognition and caste-specific roles. Furthermore, termites have repeatedly used a pre-existing pheromone or have added supplementary compounds to it in accordance with the social context, leading to multifunctionalization of pre-existing pheromones and emergence of new pheromones. These two mechanisms may enable termites to transmit various context-dependent information with a small number of chemicals, thus resulting in formation of coordinated, complex, and rational chemical communication systems.
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Sillam-Dussès D, Šobotník J, Bourguignon T, Wen P, Sémon E, Robert A, Cancello EM, Leroy C, Lacey MJ, Bordereau C. Trail-Following Pheromones in the Termite Subfamily Syntermitinae (Blattodea, Termitoidae, Termitidae). J Chem Ecol 2020; 46:475-482. [PMID: 32529331 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01180-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Trail-following behavior is a key to ecological success of termites, allowing them to orient themselves between the nesting and foraging sites. This behavior is controlled by specific trail-following pheromones produced by the abdominal sternal gland occurring in all termite species and developmental stages. Trail-following communication has been studied in a broad spectrum of species, but the "higher" termites (i.e. Termitidae) from the subfamily Syntermitinae remain surprisingly neglected. To fill this gap, we studied the trail-following pheromone in six genera and nine species of Syntermitinae. Our chemical and behavioral experiments showed that (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodeca-3,6,8-trien-1-ol is the single component of the pheromone of all the termite species studied, except for Silvestritermes euamignathus. This species produces both (3Z,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol and neocembrene, but only (3Z,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol elicits trail-following behavior. Our results indicate the importance of (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodeca-3,6,8-trien-1-ol, the most widespread communication compound in termites, but also the repeated switches to other common pheromones as exemplified by S. euamignathus.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Sillam-Dussès
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France.
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Šobotník
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas Bourguignon
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, 904-0495, Japan
| | - Ping Wen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 650223, Yunnan Province, China
| | - Etienne Sémon
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Alain Robert
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris, Institute of Research for Development - Sorbonne Universités, U 242, Bondy, France
| | - Eliana M Cancello
- Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, CP 42391 CEP 04218970, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Chloé Leroy
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Michael J Lacey
- CSIRO National Collections and Marine Infrastructure, G.P.O. Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Christian Bordereau
- Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRAE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
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Courtship Behavior Confusion in Two Subterranean Termite Species that Evolved in Allopatry (Blattodea, Rhinotermitidae, Coptotermes). J Chem Ecol 2020; 46:461-474. [PMID: 32300913 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01178-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Congeneric species that live in sympatry may have evolved various mechanisms that maintain reproductive isolation among species. However, with the spread of invasive organisms owing to increased global human activity, some species that evolved in allopatry can now be found outside their native range and may have the opportunity to interact, in the absence of mechanisms for reproductive isolation. In South Florida, where the Asian subterranean termite, Coptotermes gestroi (Wamann), and the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki (Blattodea: Rhinotermitidae) are invasive, the two species can engage in heterospecific mating behavior as their distribution range and their dispersal flight season both overlap. Termites rely on semiochemicals for many of their activities, including finding a mate after a dispersal flight. In this study, we showed that females of both species produce (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodeca-3,6,8-trien-1-ol (DTE) from their tergal glands as a shared sex pheromone. We suggest that both species primarily rely on an inundative dispersal flight strategy to find a mate, and that DTE is used as a short distance pheromone or contact pheromone to initiate and maintain the tandem between males and females. The preference of C. gestroi males for C. formosanus females during tandem resulted from the relatively high amount of DTE produced by tergal glands of C. formosanus females, when compared with those of C. gestroi females. This results in confusion of mating in the field during simultaneous dispersal flights, with a potential for hybridization. Such observations imply that no prezygotic barriers emerged while the two species evolved in allopatry for ~18 Ma.
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Gössinger E. Chemistry of the Secondary Metabolites of Termites. PROGRESS IN THE CHEMISTRY OF ORGANIC NATURAL PRODUCTS 2019; 109:1-384. [PMID: 31637529 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-12858-6_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Isolation, structure determination, synthesis, and biochemistry of the low-molecular-weight compounds of the secretion of exocrine glands of termites are described, with an emphasis on pheromones and defensive compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edda Gössinger
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- , Mistelbach, Austria.
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Wen XL, Wen P, Dahlsjö CAL, Sillam-Dussès D, Šobotník J. Breaking the cipher: ant eavesdropping on the variational trail pheromone of its termite prey. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0121. [PMID: 28446695 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Predators may eavesdrop on their prey using innate signals of varying nature. In regards to social prey, most of the prey signals are derived from social communication and may therefore be highly complex. The most efficient predators select signals that provide the highest benefits. Here, we showed the use of eusocial prey signals by the termite-raiding ant Odontoponera transversaO. transversa selected the trail pheromone of termites as kairomone in several species of fungus-growing termites (Termitidae: Macrotermitinae: Odontotermes yunnanensis, Macrotermes yunnanensis, Ancistrotermes dimorphus). The most commonly predated termite, O. yunnanensis, was able to regulate the trail pheromone component ratios during its foraging activity. The ratio of the two trail pheromone compounds was correlated with the number of termites in the foraging party. (3Z)-Dodec-3-en-1-ol (DOE) was the dominant trail pheromone component in the initial foraging stages when fewer termites were present. Once a trail was established, (3Z,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol (DDE) became the major recruitment component in the trail pheromone and enabled mass recruitment of nest-mates to the food source. Although the ants could perceive both components, they revealed stronger behavioural responses to the recruitment component, DDE, than to the common major component, DOE. In other words, the ants use the trail pheromone information as an indication of suitable prey abundance, and regulate their behavioural responses based on the changing trail pheromone component. The eavesdropping behaviour in ants therefore leads to an arms race between predator and prey where the species specific production of trail pheromones in termites is targeted by predatory ant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Lan Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, People's Republic of China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204 Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Wen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, People's Republic of China
| | - Cecilia A L Dahlsjö
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - David Sillam-Dussès
- IRD - Sorbonne Universités, iEES-Paris, U 242, Bondy, France.,University Paris 13 - Sorbonne Paris Cité, LEEC, EA 4443, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Jan Šobotník
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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Jirošová A, Sillam-Dussès D, Kyjaková P, Kalinová B, Dolejšová K, Jančařík A, Majer P, Cristaldo PF, Hanus R. Smells Like Home: Chemically Mediated Co-Habitation of Two Termite Species in a Single Nest. J Chem Ecol 2016; 42:1070-1081. [PMID: 27639394 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0756-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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8
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Wen P, Mo J, Lu C, Tan K, Šobotník J, Sillam-Dussès D. Sex-pairing pheromone of Ancistrotermes dimorphus (Isoptera: Macrotermitinae). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2015; 83:8-14. [PMID: 26549129 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2015.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Revised: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Ancistrotermes dimorphus is a common Macrotermitinae representative, facultative inquiline by its life-style, occurring in South-East China. Sex pheromone is used for couple formation and maintenance, and it is produced by and released from the female sternal gland and is highly attractive to males. Based on our combined behavioral, chemical and electrophysiological analyses, we identified (3Z,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol as the female sex pheromone of A. dimorphus as it evoked the tandem behavior at short distance, and the active quantities ranged from 0.01ng to 10ng. Interestingly, GC-MS analyses of SPME extracts showed another compound specific to the female sternal gland, (3Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol, which showed a clear GC-EAD response. However, this compound has no behavioral function in natural concentrations (0.1ng), while higher amounts (1ng) inhibit the attraction achieved by (3Z,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol. The function of (3Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol is not fully understood, but might be linked to recognition from sympatric species using the same major compound, enhancing the long-distance attraction, or informing about presence of other colonies using the compound as a trail-following pheromone. The sternal gland secretion of Ancistrotermes females contains additional candidate compounds, namely (3E,6Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol and (6Z)-dodec-6-en-1-ol, which are not perceived by males' antennae in biologically relevant amounts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Wen
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China; Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Jiangsu Agrochemical Laboratory, Changzhou, Jiangsu 212022, China
| | - Jianchu Mo
- Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
| | - Chunwen Lu
- Termite Control Center of Fangchengang, Fangchengang, Guangxi 538001, China
| | - Ken Tan
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Science, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Jan Šobotník
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - David Sillam-Dussès
- IRD - Sorbonne Universités, iEES-Paris, U 242, Bondy, France; University Paris 13 - Sorbonne Paris Cité, LEEC, EA 4443, Villetaneuse, France
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Wen P, Ji BZ, Liu SW, Liu C, Sillam-Dussès D. Sex-pairing pheromone in the Asian termite pest species Odontotermes formosanus. J Chem Ecol 2012; 38:566-75. [PMID: 22527053 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-012-0111-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2011] [Revised: 03/18/2012] [Accepted: 03/24/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The sex-pairing pheromone of the black winged subterranean termite, Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki) (Isoptera, Termitidae), was investigated using headspace-SPME, GC-MS, GC-EAD, and attraction bioassays. Females secrete the pheromone from their sternal gland to attract males. The sex-pairing pheromone is composed of (Z,Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol and (Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol, estimated at 9 to 16.64 ng and 0.2 to 0.54 ng, respectively. Both short- and long-distance sex attraction bioassays were employed to show that these compounds act in synergy at long distance, but only (Z,Z)-dodeca-3,6-dien-1-ol is active at short distance. The pheromone may be useful in efforts to control this pest, which is considered one of the most harmful termite species in Southeast Asia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Wen
- College of Forest Resources and Environment in Nanjing Forestry University (NJFU), Nanjing, 210037, China
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Hanus R, Sobotnik J, Krasulova J, Jiros P, Zacek P, Kalinova B, Dolejsova K, Cvacka J, Bourguignon T, Roisin Y, Lacey MJ, Sillam-Dusses D. Nonadecadienone, a New Termite Trail-Following Pheromone Identified in Glossotermes oculatus (Serritermitidae). Chem Senses 2011; 37:55-63. [DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjr065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Bordereau C, Cancello EM, Sillam-Dussès D, Sémon E. Sex-pairing pheromones and reproductive isolation in three sympatric Cornitermes species (Isoptera, Termitidae, Syntermitinae). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 57:469-474. [PMID: 21277310 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2010] [Revised: 01/19/2011] [Accepted: 01/19/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The species-specificity of pairing has been studied in three sympatric Neotropical termites: Cornitermes bequaerti, Cornitermes cumulans and Cornitermes silvestrii (Termitidae, Syntermitinae). Bioassays showed that sex attraction was highly species-specific between C. bequaerti and C. cumulans but not between C. cumulans and C. silvestrii. The sex-pairing pheromone of the three species is secreted by the tergal glands of female alates. It consists of a common compound (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodeca-3,6,8-trien-1-ol. In C. bequaerti, this polyunsaturated alcohol is the only compound of the sex-pairing pheromone, whereas it is associated with the oxygenated sesquiterpene (E)-nerolidol in C. cumulans, and with (E)-nerolidol and (Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol in C. silvestrii. (3Z,6Z,8E)-Dodeca-3,6,8-trien-1-ol is responsible for sexual attraction, whereas (E)-nerolidol, which is inactive in eliciting attraction of male alates, is responsible for the species-specificity of the attraction. This is the first time that a multicomponent sex-pairing pheromone has been identified in termites. The role of (Z)-dodec-3-en-1-ol present on the surface of the tergal glands of the female alates of C. silvestrii could not be definitively determined, but it is suggested that this compound could be involved in the species-specificity of sex attraction with other sympatric species of Cornitermes. Our study shows that the reproductive isolation in termites is due to a succession of factors, as the chronology of dispersal flights, the species-specificity of sex-pairing pheromones and the species-specific recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Bordereau
- C.N.R.S-U.M.R. 5548 Développement et Communication chimique chez les Insectes, Université de Bourgogne, 6 Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France.
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Costa-Leonardo AM, Haifig I. Pheromones and exocrine glands in Isoptera. VITAMINS AND HORMONES 2010; 83:521-49. [PMID: 20831960 DOI: 10.1016/s0083-6729(10)83021-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Termites are eusocial insects that have a peculiar and intriguing system of communication using pheromones. The termite pheromones are composed of a blend of chemical substances and they coordinate different social interactions or activities, including foraging, building, mating, defense, and nestmate recognition. Some of these sociochemicals are volatile, spreading in the air, and others are contact pheromones, which are transmitted by trophallaxis and grooming. Among the termite semiochemicals, the most known are alarm, trail, sex pheromones, and hydrocarbons responsible for the recognition of nestmates. The sources of the pheromones are exocrine glands located all over the termite body. The principal exocrine structures considered pheromone-producing glands in Isoptera are the frontal, mandibular, salivary or labial, sternal, and tergal glands. The frontal gland is the source of alarm pheromone and defensive chemicals, but the mandibular secretions have been little studied and their function is not well established in Isoptera. The secretion of salivary glands involves numerous chemical compounds, some of them without pheromonal function. The worker saliva contains a phagostimulating pheromone and probably a building pheromone, while the salivary reservoir of some soldiers contains defensive chemicals. The sternal gland is the only source of trail-following pheromone, whereas sex pheromones are secreted by two glandular sources, the sternal and tergal glands. To date, the termite semiochemicals have indicated that few molecules are involved in their chemical communication, that is, the same compound may be secreted by different glands, different castes and species, and for different functions, depending on the concentration. In addition to the pheromonal parsimony, recent studies also indicate the occurrence of a synergic effect among the compounds involved in the chemical communication of Isoptera.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Maria Costa-Leonardo
- Departamento de Biologia, Instituto de Biociências, Unesp—Univ Estadual Paulista, CEP 13506-900, Rio Claro—SP, Brasil
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BORDEREAU CHRISTIAN, LACEY MICHAELJ, SÉMON ETIENNE, BRAEKMAN JEANCLAUDE, GHOSTIN JEAN, ROBERT ALAIN, SHERMAN JANETSHELLMAN, SILLAM-DUSSÈS DAVID. Sex pheromones and trail-following pheromone in the basal termites Zootermopsis nevadensis (Hagen) and Z. angusticollis (Hagen) (Isoptera: Termopsidae: Termopsinae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01446.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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14
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Sillam-Dussès D, Kalinová B, Jiros P, Brezinová A, Cvacka J, Hanus R, Sobotník J, Bordereau C, Valterová I. Identification by GC-EAD of the two-component trail-following pheromone of Prorhinotermes simplex (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae, Prorhinotermitinae). JOURNAL OF INSECT PHYSIOLOGY 2009; 55:751-757. [PMID: 19394339 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2009.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2009] [Revised: 04/14/2009] [Accepted: 04/14/2009] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
GC/MS analysis confirmed that neocembrene is the major component of the trail pheromone in the three species of the termite genus Prorhinotermes (P. simplex, P. canalifrons, P. inopinatus). In addition, EAG and GC-EAD experiments with P. simplex strongly suggest that dodecatrienol is a quantitatively minor component but a qualitatively important component of this trail pheromone. Trail-following bioassays confirmed the two-component nature of the trail pheromone. This is the first report of the use of the GC-EAD for the identification of trail pheromone in termites. These original results underline once again the special phylogenetic status of the Prorhinotermitinae among Rhinotermitidae.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Sillam-Dussès
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Science of the Czech Republic, Praha, Czech Republic
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(Z)-Dodec-3-en-1-ol, a common major component of the trail-following pheromone in the termites Kalotermitidae. CHEMOECOLOGY 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s00049-009-0017-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Quennedey A, Sillam-Dussès D, Robert A, Bordereau C. The fine structural organization of sternal glands of pseudergates and workers in termites (Isoptera): a comparative survey. ARTHROPOD STRUCTURE & DEVELOPMENT 2008; 37:168-185. [PMID: 18207459 DOI: 10.1016/j.asd.2007.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2007] [Revised: 10/24/2007] [Accepted: 10/24/2007] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Thirty-nine species belonging to different families of termites are studied to give a comprehensive view of the evolution of the sternal glands. Several modifications occurring at cuticular and cytological levels are described in neuter castes. The outer epicuticle is always pierced by epicuticular pores. In advanced termites the epicuticular filaments greatly increase in number and length creating a thick layer. The pore canals gradually enlarge while the cuticle changes into a lattice structure lining an extracellular space in which the secretion is stored. Two classes of cells are present in basal termites (Mastotermitidae, Hodotermitidae, Termopsidae and Kalotermitidae) but their glandular structures greatly differ between families. A more complex organization with three classes of cells is found in the Serritermitidae and Rhinotermitidae. A regressive evolution occurs in the Termitidae where only two classes of cells are present. A dual nervous control (campaniform sensilla and neurosecretory fibers) is found in lower termites, except for the Hodotermitidae which have mechanosensory bristles. In the other families, neurosecretory fibers are lacking. A comparison with phylogenetic data is given. A more versatile role of sternal glands in neuter castes is hypothesized.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Quennedey
- UMR 5548, Développement et Communication Chimique chez les Insectes, Université de Bourgogne, 6 boulevard Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
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Symonds MRE, Elgar MA. The evolution of pheromone diversity. Trends Ecol Evol 2008; 23:220-8. [PMID: 18308422 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2007.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 230] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2007] [Revised: 11/07/2007] [Accepted: 11/08/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Pheromones are chemical signals whose composition varies enormously between species. Despite pheromones being a nearly ubiquitous form of communication, particularly among insects, our understanding of how this diversity has arisen, and the processes driving the evolution of pheromones, is less developed than that for visual and auditory signals. Studies of phylogeny, genetics and ecological processes are providing new insights into the patterns, mechanisms and drivers of pheromone evolution, and there is a wealth of information now available for analysis. Future research could profitably use these data by employing phylogenetic comparative techniques to identify ecological correlates of pheromone composition. Genetic analyses are also needed to gain a clearer picture of how changes in receivers are associated with changes in the signal.
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Sillam-Dussès D, Sémon E, Lacey MJ, Robert A, Lenz M, Bordereau C. Trail-Following Pheromones in Basal Termites, with Special Reference to Mastotermes darwiniensis. J Chem Ecol 2007; 33:1960-77. [PMID: 17885791 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-007-9363-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2007] [Revised: 08/08/2007] [Accepted: 08/31/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In the framework of an evolutionary study, trail pheromones have been studied in the most basal extant termite, Mastotermes darwiniensis (Mastotermitidae), and two other basal termites, the Termopsidae Porotermes adamsoni (Porotermitinae) and Stolotermes victoriensis (Stolotermitinae). Although workers of M. darwiniensis do not walk in single file while exploring a new environment under experimental conditions and are unable to follow artificial trails in 'open field' experiments, they do secrete a trail-following pheromone from their sternal glands. This unique behavior might reflect a primitive function of communication of the sternal gland. The major component of the pheromone appears to be the same in the three basal species: the norsesquiterpene alcohol (E)-2,6,10-trimethyl-5,9-undecadien-1-ol. This represents a new chemical category of trail-following pheromones for termites. The quantity of pheromone was estimated as 20 pg/individual in M. darwiniensis, 700 pg/individual in P. adamsoni, and 4 pg/individual in S. victoriensis. The activity threshold was 1 ng/cm in M. darwiniensis and 10 pg/cm in P. adamsoni. In M. darwiniensis, the trail pheromone was secreted by sternal gland 4 and to a lesser degree by sternal gland 3, sternal gland 5 being almost inactive. This study highlighted phylogenetic relationships between the Mastotermitidae and two subfamilies of the Termopsidae, the Porotermitinae and the Stolotermitinae. Furthermore, it indicated a heterogeneity within the Termopsidae, with Porotermitinae and Stolotermitinae on one hand, and Termopsinae on the other. Finally, Mastotermitidae and Termopsidae, with C14 trail pheromones, are clearly separated from the Kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, and Termitidae that secrete C12 or C20 trail pheromones.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Sillam-Dussès
- CNRS-UMR 5548 Développement et Communication Chimique Chez les Insectes, Université de Bourgogne, 6 Bd. Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France
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Saran RK, Millar JG, Rust MK. Role of (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodecatrien-1-ol in trail following, feeding, and mating behavior of Reticulitermes hesperus. J Chem Ecol 2007; 33:369-89. [PMID: 17200889 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-006-9229-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2005] [Accepted: 11/20/2006] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Trail pheromones mediate communication among western subterranean termites, Reticulitermes hesperus Banks. Repetitive passages of >or=28 termites were required to establish a pheromone trail and trails needed to be reinforced because they lasted <48 hr. The minimal threshold concentration for inducing responses from termite workers and secondary reproductives was between 0.01 and 0.1 fg/cm of (3Z,6Z,8E)-dodecatrien-1-ol (henceforth, dodecatrienol). Workers showed optimal trail-following behavior to dodecatrienol at a concentration of 10 fg/cm. Trails with concentrations >10 pg/cm were repellent to workers. Workers did not detect pheromone gradients, responding equally to increasing or decreasing gradients of dodecatrienol, and termite workers were not able to differentiate between different concentrations of dodecatrienol. Termites preferred dodecatrienol trails to 2-phenoxyethanol trails. Antennae played a key role in trail pheromone perception. Dodecatrienol acted as an arrestant for worker termites (10 fg/cm2) and male alates (5 ng/cm2), whereas sternal gland extracts from females attracted male alates. Workers and alates, upon contact with filter paper disks treated with higher doses (10 fg/cm2 and 5 ng/cm2, respectively) of dodecatrienol, were highly excited (increased antennation and palpation) and repeatedly returned to the treated disks. Dodecatrienol did not act as a phagostimulant when offered on a paper towel disk. Reticulitermes hesperus is highly responsive to dodecatrienol, and it may play an important role in orientation of workers and alates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raj K Saran
- Department of Entomology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA.
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