Vibratory behaviour produces different vibration patterns in presence of reproductives in a subterranean termite species

Abstract

Vibratory behaviours are widespread in social insects, but the produced vibrations remain poorly explored. Communication using vibrations is an efficient way to transmit information in subterranean environments where visual and odorant signals are less efficient. In termites, different vibratory behaviours are performed in different contexts like reproductive regulation and alarm signalling, but only few studies explored the structure of the produced vibrations (i.e., duration, number of pulses, amplitude). Here, we described several types of vibrations produced by a vibratory behaviour widespread in termites (body-shaking), which can be transmitted through the substrate and detected by other colony members. We analysed the structures of the emitted vibrations and the occurrence of the body-shaking events in presence/absence of reproductives and/or in presence/absence of a stress stimuli (flashlight) in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes flavipes. Interestingly, only the presence of the reproductives did influence the number of pulses and the duration of the emitted vibrations. Moreover, the first part of the emitted vibrations seems to be enough to encode reproductive information, but other parts might hold other type of information. Body-shaking occurrence did increase in presence of reproductives but only briefly under a flashlight. These results show that vibratory cues are complex in termites and their diversity might encode a plurality of social cues.

Reproductives signature revealed by protein profiling and behavioral bioassays in termite

“…Workers display more body-shaking in presence of live reproductives and extracts of reproductives than in presence of workers' extracts. In the termite R. flavipes, this behavior is a proximate of the presence of reproductives 18 , 43 , 44 (also shown in this study). Thus, we bring behavioral evidence that reproductives recognition is mediated by cuticular polar compounds, with proteins and peptides good candidates as active compounds.…”

“…For this purpose, we used aqueous extraction of polar compounds for both protein profiling and for behavioral assays. It has been previously demonstrated that body-shaking of workers (a vibratory behavior) was involved in reproductives recognition in the termite R. flavipes , since workers expressed this vibratory behavior in presence of reproductives or eggs 18 , 43 , 44 . Here we show that cuticular polar extracts from reproductives contain compounds that have the ability to trigger body-shaking, while extracts from workers do not.…”

“…The total number of body-shaking events expressed by all the workers during the 5 min of recordings were analyzed using the BORIS freeware v.6.0.5 48 . Note that a body-shaking event lasts on average 0.7 s, and the quantification of their occurrence was done according to previous publications 43 , 44 . At the beginning of each video recording, the humidity and temperature of the room were measured.…”

“…These extracts were used for molecular profiling and tested in behavioral bioassays to measure body-shaking events displayed by the workers. Indeed, it has been recently shown that in the termite Reticulitermes flavipes , body-shaking is a vibratory behavior involved in reproductives recognition 18 , 43 , 44 . As controls, we also tested live reproductives (no extracts) and polar extracts from workers.…”

Rescue Strategy in a Termite: Workers Exposed to a Fungal Pathogen Are Reintegrated Into the Colony

“…They represent an effective form of communication in termites, especially in subterranean environments where visual and odorant signals can be less effective (Hill, 2009). Termites are therefore able to transmit different signals using shaking behavior, such as alarm signaling, caste identification and reproductive regulation (Eyer et al, 2021;Pailler et al, 2021). In addition, termites can exhibit different behaviors toward infected nestmates.…”