Termite soldiers are a unique caste among social insects, and their differentiation can be induced by Juvenile hormone (JH) from workers through two molts (worker–presoldier–soldier). However, the molecular mechanism underlying the worker...
Termites are eusocial insects with functionally specialized workers and soldiers, both sharing the same genotype. Additionally, lower termites host flagellates in their hindguts that assist in wood digestion. However, worker-biased and soldier-biased...
In eusocial insects (e.g., ants, bees, and termites), the roles of different castes are assigned to different individuals. These castes possess unique phenotypes that are specialized for specific tasks. The acquisition of sterile individuals with spe...
Linear and geometric morphometrics approaches were conducted to analyze the head capsule (HC) shape of collected soldier caste specimens of Coptotermes from various locations in Indonesia. The soldiers’ morphology was observed and measured. The resul...
Eusocial insects have evolved specific defensive strategies to protect their colonies. In termite colonies, soldiers perform a colony-level defense by displaying mechanical biting, head-banging and mandible opening–closing behaviors. However, f...
The Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus) is an important worldwide pest, each year causing millions of dollars in structural damage and control costs. Termite colonies are composed of several phenotypically distinct castes. Termites...
Several thousand Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) including worker, nymph, soldier, neotenic and alate castes were collected from three pine logs brought into the laboratory on dates five years apart. The neotenics, all nymphoid, were divided into th...
Antennae are the primary sensory organs in insects, where a variety of sensilla are distributed for the perception of the chemical environment. In eusocial insects, colony function is maintained by a division of labor between reproductive and non-rep...
Analyzing the information-rich content of RNA can help uncover genetic events associated with social insect castes or other social polymorphisms. Here, we exploit a series of cDNA libraries previously derived from whole-body tissue of different caste...
Fungus-farming termites host gut microbial communities that contribute to the pre-digestion of plant biomass for manuring the fungal mutualist, and potentially to the production of defensive compounds that suppress antagonists. Termite colonies are c...
The survival and foraging of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki in a microbe-rich environment reflect the adaptation of an extraordinary, sophisticated defense mechanism by the nest-mates. We aimed to explore the host pathogen interaction by studying cas...
Termites live in colonies, and their members belong to different castes that each have their specific role within the termite society. In well-established colonies of higher termites, the only food the founding female, the queen, receives is saliva f...