کد مقاله کد نشریه سال انتشار مقاله انگلیسی نسخه تمام متن
2840856 1165361 2010 6 صفحه PDF دانلود رایگان
عنوان انگلیسی مقاله ISI
Group size effect on worker juvenile hormone titers and soldier differentiation in Formosan subterranean termite
موضوعات مرتبط
علوم زیستی و بیوفناوری علوم کشاورزی و بیولوژیک دانش حشره شناسی
پیش نمایش صفحه اول مقاله
Group size effect on worker juvenile hormone titers and soldier differentiation in Formosan subterranean termite
چکیده انگلیسی

In a finite environment, population growth can lead to crowding, increased densities and stress. Termites live in highly organized societies and densities can increase astronomically as colonies grow. However, little is known about juvenile hormone (JH) changes in these insects as numbers increase, despite the fact that JH is a critical caste regulator in this insect. Using Formosan subterranean termites as a model, we evaluated minimum group size requirements for soldier differentiation and the effect of density (50, 100, 500, and 1000 individuals/experimental unit) on worker JH titers either with or without initial soldiers being present. The minimum group size investigation indicated that groups initiated with 5 workers were insufficient for soldier differentiation. Soldiers were produced in groups initiated with 10 or more workers. As density increased from 50 to 1000 individuals per experimental unit, worker JH levels were elevated. Presence of soldiers lessened the effect of density on rising worker JH titers, indicating that soldiers have the ability to down-regulate worker JH. The study provides direct evidence of a population density effect on JH in eusocial insects and sheds light on understanding of the regulatory mechanisms associated with termite soldier caste differentiation.

ناشر
Database: Elsevier - ScienceDirect (ساینس دایرکت)
Journal: Journal of Insect Physiology - Volume 56, Issue 7, July 2010, Pages 725–730
نویسندگان
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