Development of superfluous soldiers induced by juvenile hormone analogues in the termite,Reticulitermes lucifugus santonensis

Abstract

The synthetic juvenile hormone (JH): 17% alltrans+83%trans, trans, cis-methyl 10-epoxy-3,7,11-trimethyl-2,6 tridecadienoate and juvenile hormone analogues (JHA): methyl 10-chloro-3,7,11-trimethyl-2 dodecenoate and ethyl 10-epoxy-3,7,11-trimethyl-2,6-dodecadienoate administered on filter paper to small groups of the European subterranean termiteReticulitermes lucifugus santonensis Feyt. caused differentiation of larvae and pseudergates into pre-soldiers and/or pseudergate-soldier intercastes. In contrast to the proportion of one soldier to 100–300 other individuals in normal colonies, the effect of the compounds tested that showed JH activity was to induce the development of a large number of superfluous soldiers in quantities that even exceeded the number of other kinds of individuals. Such a disturbance in the caste ratio leads to increased mortality.