Abstract
Social insect colonies can provide homeostatic conditions that buffer the incidence of environmental fluctuations on individuals, which have contributed to their ecological success. Coptotermes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) is a highly invasive termite genus and several species have important economic impact in many areas of the world. Mature Coptotermes colonies with millions of individuals can provide optimal environmental condition and nurturing capacity for the developing brood. However, it was previously suggested that contrary to mature colonies, incipient colonies may be exposed to critical stress, which may explain for the low success rate of establishment within the first year of the life of a termite colony. We here investigated the stress imposed on individuals of incipient colonies by comparing the developmental instability of individuals between incipient and mature colonies of two Coptotermes species, C. formosanus Shiraki and C. gestroi (Wasmann). We assessed the developmental instability by measuring the asymmetry of morphological traits from the head capsule of the soldier caste. Soldiers from incipient colonies of both species displayed strong asymmetrical traits in comparison to soldiers from mature colonies. We suggest that homeostatic conditions for optimal development are reached as the colony matures, and confirmed that the incipient colony remains a critical bottleneck where individuals are exposed to high developmental stress.
Highlights
The developmental stability of an organism is reflected by its ability to produce an ‘ideal’ form under optimal conditions [1,2]
Because this study aims to compare the asymmetry between mature and nanitic soldiers, only the mature soldiers displaying the characteristic morphotype of their species were used for the symmetry analysis (n530)
Our results showed that the number, the distribution, and the symmetry of the setae around the fontanelle of nanitic soldiers differed from mature soldiers in both C. gestroi and C. formosanus
Summary
The developmental stability of an organism is reflected by its ability to produce an ‘ideal’ form under optimal conditions [1,2]. Social insects can form large colonies with a protected nest structure that buffers external environmental changes, resulting in homeostatic conditions inside the nest [6,7,8]. A few studies have looked at environmental cues as a source of developmental instability, including the effect of temperature on honey bees [20] and the effect of chronic exposure to metal pollutants in ant colonies [21]. In his study of ant exposure to pollutants, Rabitsch [21] mentioned that those in young colonies appeared to be more sensitive to metal exposure than ants from mature colonies
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