Reticulitermes nelsonae, a New Species of Subterranean Termite (Rhinotermitidae) from the Southeastern United States

Lim, Su Yee; Forschler, Brian T.

doi:10.3390/insects3010062

Cited by 24 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Some predators (e.g., the salticid spider, Cosmophasis bitaeniata ) mimic cuticular hydrocarbons of their prey for access to prey colonies (Elgar & Allan, ). Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles have proven useful in separating different species, in particular for those closely related species that are extremely similar or indistinguishable morphologically (Page et al ., ,b, ; Kaib et al ., ; Haverty et al ., ; Martin et al ., ; Nelson et al ., ; Lim & Forschler, ). We collected and analyzed cuticular hydrocarbons from adult PSHB and TSHB to determine their utility in supplementing genetic data for species separation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative morphometric and chemical analyses of phenotypes of two invasive ambrosia beetles (Euwallacea spp.) in the United States

et al. 2016

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The polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB), Euwallacea sp., was first detected in 2003 in Los Angeles County, California, USA. Recently, this invasive species has become a major pest of many hardwood trees in urban and wildland forests throughout southern California. PSHB is nearly identical in morphology and life history to the tea shot hole borer (TSHB), Euwallacea fornicatus, an invasive pest of hardwoods in Florida, USA and many other parts of the world. However, molecular studies have suggested that the taxa are different species. We conducted morphometric and chemical analyses of the phenotypes of Euwallacea sp. collected in southern California (Los Angeles County) and E. fornicatus collected in Florida (Miami-Dade County). Our analyses indicated that PSHB has 3 larval instars. The third larval instar was separated from the first 2 instars by head capsule width with 0 probability of misclassification. The body length, head width, and pronotal width of PSHB adult males were significantly less than those of females. Head width and pronotal width of female PSHB were significantly less than those of female TSHB. In contrast, body length, and ratio of body length to pronotal width of female PSHB were significantly greater than those of female TSHB. However, females of these 2 species could not be separated completely by these 4 measurements because of the overlapping ranges. Cuticular hydrocarbons detected in both species were exclusively alkanes (i.e., n-alkanes, monomethylalkanes, dimethylalkanes, and trimethylalkanes). Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of PSHB males and females were similar, but they both differed from that of TSHB females. Cuticular hydrocarbons of PSHB were predominantly internally branched dimethylalkanes with backbones of 31 and 33 carbons, whereas cuticular hydrocarbons of TSHB females were dominated by internally branched monomethylalkanes and dimethylalkanes with backbones of 28 and 29 carbons. Multiple compounds within these classes appear to be diagnostic for PSHB and TSHB, respectively.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparative morphometric and chemical analyses of phenotypes of two invasive ambrosia beetles (Euwallacea spp.) in the United States

et al. 2016

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“…Subterranean termites of the genus Reticulitermes Holmgren (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) are economically important termites, and taxonomic research on the genus is necessary. However, Reticulitermes species identification by morphology alone has been complicated due to interspecific overlap and intraspecific geographic variations in size (Ye et al 2004;Austin et al 2007;Lim & Forschler 2012). A combination of molecular and morphological taxonomy has solved some problems in termite identification, such as revealing synonymous relationships between Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) and Reticulitermes santonensis Feytaud (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) (Austin et al 2005b), between Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky) and Nasutitermes costalis (Holmgren) (Isoptera: Termitidae) (Scheffrahn et al 2005); as well as between Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) and Coptotermes vastator Light (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) (Yeap et al 2007).…”

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confidence: 99%

Morphological and Genetic Evidence for the Synonymy ofReticulitermesSpecies:Reticulitermes dichrousandReticulitermes guangzhouensis(Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Ke¹,

Wu²,

Zhang³

et al. 2017

Florida Entomologist

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The taxonomy of Reticulitermes Holmgren (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in China is problematic and in need of revision. Most Chinese Reticulitermes species were described in the 1980s and 1990s, and have never been studied since then. In this study, morphological characteristics including coloration, pilosity, shape, and morphometric characteristics of Reticulitermes dichrous Ping and Reticulitermes guangzhouensis Ping were compared. In addition, a portion of the ribosomal RNA large subunit 16S (16S rRNA) and the mitochondrial DNA cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII) genes from different populations of the 2 species were sequenced and analyzed. Morphological comparisons revealed the similarities between the 2 species in both discrete and morphometric characteristics. In the molecular phylogenetic trees inferred from COII and 16S rRNA genes, all of the examined populations of the 2 species clustered into a common clade with a high bootstrap value. Based on the morphological comparisons and the molecular analyses, it is proposed that R. dichrous is a junior synonym of R. guangzhouensis.

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“…While supporting a high diversity of other saproxylic insects as well (Hanula 1996, Ulyshen andHanula 2009), the most economically important wood-consuming arthropods native to the region are the five currently-recognized species of subterranean termites (Rhinotermitidae: Reticulitermes spp.) (Lim and Forschler 2012). Although studied extensively in urban settings where they are major structural pests, very little is known about their ecology in forests.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contrasting effects of insect exclusion on wood loss in a temperate forest

2014

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Abstract. Experimental efforts to determine how insects influence terrestrial wood decomposition are few, especially in temperate regions. To address this need, a five-year exclusion study was conducted in northern Mississippi, U.S.A., to quantify insect contributions to wood decay using one-meter loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) bolts. The study included three treatments: (1) ''partially protected'' bolts that were placed on cypermethrin-treated soil to exclude subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae: Reticulitermes spp.) while permitting colonization by beetles (Coleoptera) and other saproxylic taxa, (2) ''fully protected'' bolts that were placed on cypermethrin-treated soil and enclosed within screen cages to protect against all insects and (3) ''unprotected'' bolts that were not subjected to either exclusion treatment. The full insect community consumed approximately 15-20% of wood volume in unprotected bolts, about six times more than in partially protected bolts from which termites were excluded. There were no differences in specific gravity (based on initial wood volume) or mass loss among treatments, however. It is not clear whether these findings are due to an inhibition of microbial decomposers by insects (e.g., antimicrobial compounds secreted by termites or ants), a stimulatory effect of the exclusion treatments (e.g., cypermethrin stimulating fungal growth or cages favorably altering wood moisture), or some combination of both. When based on final water-displaced volume, specific gravity was significantly higher for unprotected bolts than for those fully protected, probably because termites selectively consume the least dense wood. By the end of the study, about 20% of the final dry weight of unprotected bolts consisted of termite-imported soil. Wood volume consumed and soil content decreased with distance from the ends of the bolts whereas water content exhibited the opposite pattern. We detected a significant negative relationship between water content and volume consumed by termites, possibly because water content decreases with increasing wood density and termites tend to avoid high density wood. While insects clearly consume large volumes of wood in southeastern U.S. forests, our results suggest they do not act to accelerate mass loss beyond what is achieved by microbial decomposers. More research is needed to confirm this, however-especially given the uncertainties inherent to exclusion studies.

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Reticulitermes nelsonae, a New Species of Subterranean Termite (Rhinotermitidae) from the Southeastern United States

Cited by 24 publications

References 29 publications

Comparative morphometric and chemical analyses of phenotypes of two invasive ambrosia beetles (Euwallacea spp.) in the United States

Comparative morphometric and chemical analyses of phenotypes of two invasive ambrosia beetles (Euwallacea spp.) in the United States

Morphological and Genetic Evidence for the Synonymy ofReticulitermesSpecies:Reticulitermes dichrousandReticulitermes guangzhouensis(Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Contrasting effects of insect exclusion on wood loss in a temperate forest

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