Worker Dimorphism in Nasute Termites Reflects Different Tasks during Food Collection

Oliveira, Mário Herculano de; Viana‐Júnior, Arleu Barbosa; Nascimento, Claudilene Correia; Bezerra-Gusmão, Maria Avany

doi:10.1007/s10905-021-09773-1

Cited by 4 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…formosanus was present in the fecal samples; no minor workers, alates, or nymphs were present. Generally, major worker termites are responsible for foraging and building shelter tubes on the ground, whereas minor workers are more commonly involved in feeding and nursing within underground nest chambers (de Oliveira et al, 2021 ; Wang et al, 2009 ). Hence, we speculated that the southern tamandua fed on O .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet composition of an escaped captive‐born southern tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) in a nonnative habitat in Asia

Sun

Lin

Liang

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Studies on the role of natural predatory instincts in captive‐born mammalian myrmecophagy are rare. Consequently, researchers rely extensively on case reports to learn more about the contexts in which predatory behavior occurs among such animals. In this study, we recorded an uncommon case of a captive‐born southern tamandua ( Tamandua tetradactyla ) that accidentally escaped from a zoo into a nonnative habitat in Asia. The southern tamandua was found alive 3 months later. Two fresh fecal samples were obtained, and the diet composition was examined. Three termite species (one family, three genera), and 14 ant species (four subfamilies, nine genera) were identified in the fecal samples. The studied southern tamandua preyed on terrestrial and arboreal ants and termites, as the wild populations of its species do. Ants of the subfamily Myrmicinae and termites of the subfamily Nasutitermitinae were the most abundant prey items in the samples, which is consistent with related reports on the wild populations. Soldier ants constituted <1% of the prey items in the fecal samples, suggesting that the southern tamandua likely avoided preying on ants of the soldier caste. Fungus‐growing termites Odontotermes (Isoptera: Macrotermitinae), which are not native to neotropical regions, were also ingested by the southern tamandua. This study provides information on how a captive‐born mammalian myrmecophagy applies its natural feeding instincts in nonnative natural settings.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diet composition of an escaped captive‐born southern tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) in a nonnative habitat in Asia

Sun

Lin

Liang

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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“…Being a species with a wide distribution in Brazilian territory, mainly the Caatinga and Cerrado domains [ 17 ], its genetic profile, behavior, and morphology will reflect spatial variations according to varying environmental conditions. One of these aspects is worker dimorphism, which has been closely examined until now only through morphometric and behavioral studies of Caatinga populations [ 23 ]. Another aspect that currently displays a biome research bias towards Cerrado is the influence of soil characteristics on nest-building behavior [ 25 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lichen consumption is also a fertile research subject, as little is currently known about many aspects of this rather rare behavior among termites, with significant gaps in our knowledge of the behavior and the nutritional ecology of this species [ 23 , 38 , 42 , 44 ] that deserve investigation. (1) If lichens are important dietary items of this species [ 42 ], how does C. cyphergaster behave when deprived of that resource?…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As places with internal levels of humidity and temperature contrasting strongly with the dry semiarid climate, their nests also provide support for microorganisms, such as lichens and fungi [ 21 , 22 ]. Morphologically, C. cyphergaster has dimorphic workers, with a division of labor during foraging [ 23 ]; furthermore, the apterous lineages of this termite do not display sexual polymorphisms, as both soldiers and workers are male [ 24 ]. The species demonstrates preferences for certain plants as support for their nests, and they use some of the metabolites produced by those plants as defensive compounds [ 25 , 26 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Impact of Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae) Termites on Semiarid Ecosystems in Brazil: A Review of Current Research

Oliveira

Viana‐Júnior

Rolim

et al. 2022

Insects

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Termites have global distributions and play important roles in most ecosystems, often with high nest densities and interesting associations with other organisms. Constrictotermes cyphergaster, is a termite endemic to South America, widely distributed and very conspicuous, and has therefore been considered a good model for filling in gaps in general termite ecology and their relationships with other organisms (e.g., termitophily). A systematic review (content and bibliometric analyses) was used to gather all published scientific knowledge related to C. cyphergaster as well as to observe trends, verify gaps, and direct new perspectives for future studies of this species. We identified 54 studies, of which more than 50% were published in the last five years (28 articles). The majority of the articles investigated the relationships between C. cyphergaster and macroorganisms (44.4%), followed by specific aspects of its biology (25.9%). The collaboration network revealed that links between researchers are still limited and modular, but trending topics have changed over time. Additionally, there are differences in the aims of the studies being carried out in the Caatinga and Cerrado domains, with some information focusing only on one of those environments. Our results show that some gaps in the biology and ecology of C. cyphergaster remain to be explored, although collaborative efforts between researchers open opportunities for suggesting future studies that would make relevant contributions to the general knowledge of termites.

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“…An example is C. cyphergaster (Silvestri, 1901), a Neotropical termite that forages on exposed trails. This species displays different foraging behaviors that may be related to the variety of resources and environments in which it forages (Oliveira et al, 2021); in Brazil, this termite is common in both Brazilian savannah (Cerrado) and semiarid environments (Caatinga) (Mathews, 1977). Wood in different decomposition stages and the bark surface of living trees are among the most consumed resources by C. cyphergaster.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeding substrate selection is not affected by the soil and environment temperature during the foraging of Constrictotermes cyphergaster

et al. 2022

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Termites are known as wood consumers, although some species eat other substrates. Assessing resource selection is important to understanding their biology. The present study provides information on the foraging behavior of Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Blattaria, Termitidae) in a dry forest area of Caatinga in Brazil. We aimed to verify the frequency of resource exploitation by termites as a function of environmental and soil temperatures. We found no significant differences in resource exploitation as a function of temperature, which is interesting because this variable is often reported as modulating foraging activity in some other termite species. This species forages on open trails at high temperatures in the Brazilian semi-arid zone. Environmental changes may affect the dynamics of their behavior and, consequently, the ecosystem, since C. cyphergaster influences the carbon cycle and can modify the soil. Our study provides a basis for future research intending to understand the adaptations of this termite to live in the drylands.

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Worker Dimorphism in Nasute Termites Reflects Different Tasks during Food Collection

Cited by 4 publications

References 33 publications

Diet composition of an escaped captive‐born southern tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) in a nonnative habitat in Asia

Diet composition of an escaped captive‐born southern tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla) in a nonnative habitat in Asia

The Impact of Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae) Termites on Semiarid Ecosystems in Brazil: A Review of Current Research

Feeding substrate selection is not affected by the soil and environment temperature during the foraging of Constrictotermes cyphergaster

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