Cryptotermes Domesticus Research Articles

A post in an internet forum led to a discovery of an invasive drywood termite in Korea, Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland) (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae)

Abstract Invasive drywood termites are one of the most challenging species to detect in the early invasion process as they can infest a small piece of wood and be transported by human activity. Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland, 1898) is native to south Asia and Australia and has been introduced into many other Asian countries and pacific islands, where they cause damage to furniture and wooden structures. Recently, an established colony of C. domesticus has been found in the Seoul metropolitan area, Republic of Korea, where drywood termites were not thought to be able to establish due to low winter temperatures. The discovery of C. domesticus was initiated from a post on an internet forum in which an anonymous homeowner collected alates in an apartment and asked for pest identification. This information was readily delivered to professional entomologists, and a task force was formed for inspection. During the thorough inspection, an infested sliding door frame was identified and a colony of C. domesticus was found. Instead of fumigation and localized pesticide treatment, the door and frame were removed and replaced, which was the most cost-effective control measure as the colony was only found there. Since the potential spread of C. domesticus is uncertain, the task force collaborated with the media, including newspapers and broadcasting news, to disseminate information to help recognize any additional unreported infestations. This study provides insights on how to cooperate with the media and citizens when a new invasive species is found.

Characterization of the complete mitochondrial genome of Cryptotermes domesticus (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae): Genome description and phylogenetic implications.

The complete mitochondrial genome of Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland) was sequenced and annotated to study its characteristics and the phylogenetic relationship of C. domesticus to other termite species. The mitogenome of C. domesticus is a circular, close, and double-stranded molecule with a length of 15,655 bp. The sequenced mitogenome contains 37 typical genes, which are highly conserved in gene size, organization, and codon usage. Transfer RNA genes (tRNAs) also have typical secondary structures. All of the 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) start with an ATN codon, except for nad4, which starts with GTG and terminates with the terminal codon TAA and TAG or the incomplete form T-- (cox2 and nad5). Most tRNAs have a typical cloverleaf structure, except for trnS1, in which this form is replaced by a simple loop and lacks the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm. The nucleotide diversity (Pi) and nonsynonymous (Ka)/synonymous (Ks) mutation rate ratios indicate that nad1, cox1, and cox3 are the most conserved genes, and that cox1 has the lowest rate of evolution. In addition, an 89 bp repeated sequence was found in the A + T-rich region. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using Bayesian inference (BI) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods based on 13 PCGs, and the monophyly of Kalotermitidae was supported.

Distribution record of the invasive drywood termite Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland) in Riau Province, Sumatra Island, Indonesia

The domestic drywood termite, Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland), has been referred to in past literature as a native species originating in the Southeast Asia region. The species come to prominence due to its destructive damage to a dried wood log by creating passages and nests inside the wood. Its economic importance makes the species one of the monitored species in inter-island transport as part of a biosecurity initiative by the Indonesian Government. In the present study, we collected drywood termites’ specimens from four locations in Riau Province, Sumatra Island, and conducted morphological identification. In the end, we verify the presence of C. domesticus in all four sites studied. This finding establishes the continued presence of the species in Sumatra, one of the areas reported as the native distribution of the species other than Java and Kalimantan following the Holmgren reports in 1913. We believe this report can be an addition to the current status of C. domesticus in Sumatra and also be an addition to the biosecurity initiative list of monitored species regarding the C. domesticus native range in Indonesia.

Termite Pest Identification Method Based on Deep Convolution Neural Networks.

Several species of drywood termites, subterranean termites, and fungus-growing termites cause extensive economic losses annually worldwide. Because no universal method is available for controlling all termites, correct species identification is crucial for termite management. Despite deep neural network technologies' promising performance in pest recognition, a method for automatic termite recognition remains lacking. To develop an automated deep learning classifier for termite image recognition suitable for mobile applications, we used smartphones to acquire 18,000 original images each of four termite pest species: Kalotermitidae: Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland); Rhinotermitidae: Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and Reticulitermes flaviceps (Oshima); and Termitidae: Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki). Each original image included multiple individuals, and we applied five image segmentation techniques for capturing individual termites. We used 24,000 individual-termite images (4 species × 2 castes × 3 groups × 1,000 images) for model development and testing. We implemented a termite classification system by using a deep learning-based model, MobileNetV2. Our models achieved high accuracy scores of 0.947, 0.946, and 0.929 for identifying soldiers, workers, and both castes, respectively, which is not significantly different from human expert performance. We further applied image augmentation techniques, including geometrical transformations and intensity transformations, to individual-termite images. The results revealed that the same classification accuracy can be achieved by using 1,000 augmented images derived from only 200 individual-termite images, thus facilitating further model development on the basis of many fewer original images. Our image-based identification system can enable the selection of termite control tools for pest management professionals or homeowners.

Cryptotermes camelus (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae), a new drywood termite species from the Bolivian Chaco.

Cryptotermes Banks, 1906 is the third most diverse kalotermitid genus worldwide after Glyptotermes Froggatt, 1897 and Neotermes Holmgren, 1911, with its greatest diversity found in the Neotropics (Krishna et al. 2013a). Furthermore, the greatest number of species of Cryptotermes are known from the Caribbean Basin (Scheffrahn Křeček 1999, Casala et al. 2016, Scheffrahn 2019). Although Araujo (1977) and Bacchus (1987) list Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland, 1898) from Trinidad (treated as mainland) and Panama, respectively, Scheffrahn Křeček (1999) and Scheffrahn et al. (2009) doubt the existence of this Asian species in the New World. Without C. domesticus, the total extant Neotropical diversity of Cryptotermes is 29 endemic and three exotic species (Constantino 2020).

Termite salinity tolerance and potential for transoceanic dispersal through rafting

Oceanic rafting through driftwood has been hypothesized to be a mechanism underlying the transoceanic distribution of termites (Order: Blattodea). To test this hypothesis, we examined the salinity tolerance of 12 termite species from eight genera and three families, namely Archotermopsidae, Kalotermitidae, and Rhinotermitidae. Our results revealed that the survival rates of Incisitermes inamurai (Oshima), Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland), Prorhinotermes flavus (Bugnion and Popoff), P. simplex (Hagen), and Heterotermes sp. are not affected by treatment with 3.5% saline water, strongly supported that oceanic rafting may be a mechanism underlying the insects' transoceanic distribution. By contrast, Hodotermopsis sjostedti Holmgren, Glyptotermes satsumensis (Matsumura), Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, Co. gestroi (Wasmann), Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks), R. leptomandibularis Hsia and Fan, and R. kanmonensis Takematsu treated with saline water showed dehydration symptoms, and their mortality rates increased significantly within 12 days after treatment. These results indicate that these species are less likely to be dispersed through oceanic driftwood and that their transoceanic dispersal is rather more likely to occur through human transportation or land bridges. Phylogenetic positions and habitats of salinity‐tolerant termites implied that the acquisition of salinity tolerance may relate to both phylogeny and coastal living.

A type of component (Insecta: Isoptera) hurt some of the architectural monuments, in Northern Vietnam and effective prevention and control

A survey of harmful components in some construction sites, 14101 sites in southern province of vietnam. The seven was found between, of which 4 species of insects are recognized as cultural relics including Coptotermes gestroi, Cryptotermes domesticus, Coptotermes ceylonicus và Odontotermes hainanensis. The final result showed that the processing efficiency of 98.6% to reach all varieties Nuisance in ruins, but only 72.59% average of all bond positions after the first treatment and 27 41% position effective treatment after 2nd treatment test results annually showed 97% of relics were treated termites termites not appear again.

Short Communication: Diversity and distribution of termites in buildings in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia

Indrayani Y, Takematsu Y, Yoshimura T. 2017. Diversity and distribution of termites in buildings in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 18: 954-957. This study aimed to map the distribution of termites in buildings in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Forty-four infested buildings in Pontianak were chosen randomly as samples. Out of the buildings inspected, 10 buildings were aged less than 15 years, 13 buildings 16-30 years, 17 buildings for over 31 years, and 4 buildings were of unknown age. The altitude of the survey area was from 0.1 to 1.5 m above sea level. Soil types were clay, alluvial, humus, and organosol. The average temperature, average relative humidity, and annual precipitation at the survey site were 27.3°C, 84% and 340.6 mm, respectively. By direct observations, ten termite species were found: Coptotermes curvignathus, Coptotermes kalshoveni, Cryptotermes sp.1, Cryptotermes sp.2, Cryptotermes domesticus, Cryptotermes cynocephalus, Nasutitermes havilandi, Schedorhinotermes medioobscurus, Microcerotermes havilandi, and Globitermes globosus. N. havilandi was the most common species found in 26 buildings, followed by Cryptotermes sp.1. (9 buildings), C. domesticus (8 buildings) and C. curvignathus (8 buildings).

De novo transcriptome sequencing of Cryptotermes domesticus and comparative analysis of gene expression in response to different wood species

The drywood termite Cryptotermes domesticus is an important worldwide pest with limited genomic resources that causes substantial damage to dry timber and structural lumber. Here, we performed transcriptome sequencing for Cr. domesticus pseudergate using Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. A total of 108,745,470 clean reads were collected and assembled into 302,979 contigs with an average length of 648bp and an N50 length of 893bp. A total of 185,248 unigenes and 100,680 proteins were identified among the assembled contigs. Of these, there were 152,317 (50.27%) contigs with significant similarity to publicly available databases. To understand how the termites respond to phylogenetically diverse wood species, variations in gene expression were examined among pseudergates feeding on three wood species from different plant families, Casuarina equisetifolia (CE), Koompassia excelsa (KE) and Myristica sp. (MS). A total of 417 (118 up-regulated/299 down-regulated), 599 (148 up-regulated/451 down-regulated) and 505 (223 up-regulated/282 down-regulated) differentially expressed genes were detected in KE vs. CE, KE vs. MS and CE vs. MS, respectively. Digital gene expression analysis indicated that different wood species played an important role in the expression of termite genes, such as genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, and proteins with catalytic activity and hydrolase activity. Additionally, the genes encoding cellulase were identified and analyzed. This study provides the first primary transcriptome of Cr. domesticus and lays a foundation for future functional genomics studies in the feeding responses.

Cryptotermes (Isoptera, Kalotermitidae) on Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu: Redescription of Cryptotermes albipes (Holmgren & Holmgren) and description of Cryptotermes penaoru sp. n.

Complete series of two species of the phragmotic drywood termite genus, Cryptotermes (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae), were found on Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. Here, I describe for the first time the soldier of Cryptotermes albipes (Holmgren & Holmgren), which resembles Cryptotermes domesticus but presents deep depressions on the head sides and vertex. The other species, here described as Cryptotermes penaoru sp. n., comes close to Cryptotermes tropicalis, a species known from the tropical rainforest of northern Queensland, from which its soldier is distinguished by its more elongated head capsule.

Ecological competition favours cooperation in termite societies

Conflict and competition lie at the heart of the theories of both ecology and sociobiology. Despite this, the interaction between societal conflicts on one hand and ecological competition on the other remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate this interaction in two ecologically similar sympatric termite species, Cryptotermes secundus Hill and Cryptotermes domesticus Haviland. We manipulated the incidence of king and queen loss (within-species conflict) and the incidence of cohabitation of the two species (between-species competition) in a series of 2 year experiments. Manipulation alone had no detectable effect and most colonies survived the 2-year period. In contrast, promoting both within- and between-species conflict caused the great majority of colonies to die. Moreover, the resulting colony loss was much more rapid in the conflict-ridden C. domesticus than in C. secundus. Our data suggest that ecological competition among species can greatly exacerbate the impact of internal conflicts, thereby promoting the evolution of within-species cooperation.

Survey of the Termites (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Termitidae) of Lanyu Island, Taiwan

Lanyu Island (= Botel Tobago Island; Orchid Island) is a 48-km2 volcanic island, -90 km south east of Taiwan Island. Oshima (1912) and Tu (1955) conducted a termite survey on Lanyu Is land, and recorded 6 species (3 families, 6 genera) in total, but the voucher specimens were neither mentioned nor available. During 10-12 Jun 2007, we collected 24 termite colony samples from 11 lo calities along roadsides, in structures, and on boats on the island (Fig. 1). Our survey also yielded 6 species in 6 genera and 3 families (Table 1). Identifications were made by Li based on orig inal descriptions and references listed in Table 1. The voucher specimens are deposited in the Uni versity of Florida Termite Collection, Fort Lau derdale Research and Education Center, and Na tional Taiwan University, Department of Ento mology, Taipei, Taiwan. The 6 species with brief description are the following. Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland): Alates were taken from a sport-fishing yacht, and 4 other colonies were found in the dead branches of living trees. This distribution pattern indicates that Cr. domesticus is a structural pest and also a wood land species of Lanyu Island. In Taiwan Cr. do mesticus was only found in structural wood (Li, unpublished data). Miller & Paton (1983) re ported that Cr. domesticus is indigenous and only found in mangroves in northern Australia near Darwin, but is a domestic pest in northern Queens land. We assume that Lanyu Island and North Australia are the northern and southern limits of

Not so good vibrations

Pliny the Elder was one of the first to record it 2,000 years ago: termites are noisy eaters. Their loud chewing generates acoustic emissions that have been proposed to be a method of detecting cryptic attack. But a team from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and the University of New South Wales in Canberra, Australia, wondered whether worker termites might be able to detect vibration/acoustic signals generated by their foraging and use these signals to determine the size of the piece of timber they are attacking.TermitTermites have a reputation of being voracious and non-discriminating feeders, consuming all wood that they can find. The 2 million homeowners in the US and many elsewhere who require termite treatment each year know the problem. But Theodore Evans and colleagues, reporting in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (published online), believe this reputation is not deserved. In fact, termites can be highly selective feeders. Wood species palatability and hardness are important, as are the defensive chemicals made by the plant. But these appear not to be the only criteria by which termites assess a potential food source, as anecdotal accounts abound of termites not consuming a piece of palatable wood after finding it.Termites cause enormous damage, as shown in this house in New Orleans in the southern US, but new evidence suggests that for at least one species the size of potential timber food is of key importance in determining whether or not they decide to feed on it. (Photograph: Oxford Scientific Films.)View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint SlideOne possible issue is the potential quantity of food. Different termite species that live in the same habitat feed on particular sizes of wood, some species targeting smaller fallen twigs and sticks and others targeting larger fallen branches or entire trees. Such variation in choice may have evolved to avoid competition, but how does a termite assess the size of a piece of wood? Termites come into contact with only a tiny piece of any wooden object and decide to eat it based on this minor contact. The decision to eat a piece of wood is made by the termites before the piece of wood is measured physically. They do not assess the linear dimensions, which would expose them to predators, or evaluate it visually as worker termites are blind.The possibility that termites could use vibroacoustic signals to assess wood size has been suggested previously following observations that Cryptotermes termites quickly responded to the volume of food given, without having the possibility of measuring the food physically.The team therefore decided to test whether termites of the Cryptotermes domesticus species might be able to discriminate between different sizes of wood. The team constructed experiments that presented termites with blocks of wood with a standard cross-sectional diameter of 20x20mm but of either 20mm or 160mm length. The insects were placed in a gap between the two faces of the timber blocks so that they were not able physically to assess the length of each block.The team found that the termites, when presented with a choice, preferred the shorter 20mm block. To test whether the termites might be using vibration signal to assess the blocks, the researchers carried out two experiments. They recorded the vibration signals produced by termites placed in a hole in blocks of wood of lengths varying from 20 to 160mm long. They then examined the influence of some of the recorded signals on termites faced with wood blocks of different sizes along with the influence of two artificially synthesized signals.The team found that when they played the vibration signals recorded from the larger block into the smaller block, the termites’ preference for the smaller block disappeared, but when the signal from the smaller block was played the preference was maintained. The termites did not change their behaviour in response to artificial noise signals.The researchers believe the demonstrated preference for smaller pieces of wood may be a mechanism to avoid competition with larger species of termite attracted to larger pieces of wood.But while individual termite species might be fussy, the news is not good for those whose home timbers have been deemed an ideal feast by whatever species finds this source and size of wood attractive.

Termites assess wood size by using vibration signals

Contrary to the common perception that termites are indiscriminant eaters, termites choose their food carefully; however, the methods by which they choose food are not well understood. Using choice experiments and recordings of termites feeding on wooden blocks of different sizes, we show that worker drywood termites (Cryptotermes domesticus) use the resonant frequency of a block of wood to assess its size. Drywood termites showed differences in their response to vibration recordings of termites compared with artificially generated signals, suggesting that they can discriminate the source of vibration. Furthermore, fewer workers matured into neotenic reproductives when recorded termite signals were played, suggesting that vibration signals play an important role in termite communication.

Feeding Activities of the Dry-wood Termite Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland) Under Various Relative Humidity and Temperature Conditions Using Acoustic Emission Monitoring

Feeding Activities of the Dry-wood Termite Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland) Under Various Relative Humidity and Temperature Conditions Using Acoustic Emission Monitoring

Phylogenetic diversity of termite gut spirochaetes.

A molecular phylogenetic analysis was done of not-yet-cultured spirochaetes inhabiting the gut of the termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar). Ninety-eight clones of near-full-length spirochaetal 16S rDNA genes were classified by ARDRA pattern and by partial sequencing. All clones grouped within the genus Treponema, and at least 21 new species of Treponema were recognized within R. flavipes alone. Analysis of 190 additional clones from guts of Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki and Zootermopsis angusticollis (Hagen), as well as published data on clones from Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland), Mastotermes darwiniensis Froggatt, Nasutitermes lujae (Wasmann) and Reticulitermes speratus(Kolbe), revealed a similar level of novel treponemal phylogenetic diversity in these representatives of five of the seven termite families. None of the clones was closely related (i.e. all bore < or = 91% sequence similarity) to any previously recognized treponeme. The data also revealed the existence of two major phylogenetic groups of treponemes: one containing all of the currently known isolates of Treponema and a large number of phylotypes from the human gingival crevice, but only a minority of the termite gut spirochaete clones; another containing the majority of termite spirochaete clones and two Spirochaeta (S. caldaria and S. stenostrepta), which, although free living, group within the genus Treponema on the basis of 16S rRNA sequence. Signature nucleotides that almost perfectly distinguished the latter group, herein referred to as the 'termite cluster', occurred at the following (E. coli numbering) positions: 289-G x C-311; A at 812; and an inserted nucleotide at 1273. The emerging picture is that the long-recognized and striking morphological diversity of termite gut spirochaetes is paralleled by their phylogenetic diversity and may reflect substantial physiological diversity as well.

Phylogenetic analysis of the symbiotic intestinal microflora of the termite Cryptotermes domesticus

The phylogeny of microorganisms of the symbiotic community in the gut of a lower termite, Cryptotermes domesticus (order Isoptera, family Kalotermitidae), was investigated without culturing the resident microorganisms. Portions of the small-subunit rRNA genes (16S rRNAs) were directly amplified from the mixed-population DNA of the termite gut by the PCR and were clonally isolated. Analysis of partial sequences of 16S rRNA showed the existence of prokaryotic species related to the genera Methanobrevibacter, Leuconostoc, Bacteroides and Treponema, but most of the sequences were those of yet unknown species. Unique sequences showing very low sequence similarity to known 16S rRNA sequences were also found although they were significantly clustered with the High G+C Gram-positive bacteria. Comparisons of these sequences with those from the symbiotic microorganisms in other termite species revealed the existence of termite-specific groups of organisms.

Phylogenetic analysis of the symbiotic intestinal microflora of the termiteCryptotermes domesticus

The phylogeny of microorganisms of the symbiotic community in the gut of a lower termite, Cryptotermes domesticus (order Isoptera, family Kalotermitidae), was investigated without culturing the resident microorganisms. Portions of the small-subunit rRNA genes (16S rRNAs) were directly amplified from the mixed-population DNA of the termite gut by the PCR and were clonally isolated. Analysis of partial sequences of 16S rRNA showed the existence of prokaryotic species related to the genera Methanobrevibacter, Leuconostoc, Bacteroides and Treponema, but most of the sequences were those of yet unknown species. Unique sequences showing very low sequence similarity to known 16S rRNA sequences were also found although they were significantly clustered with the High G+C Gram-positive bacteria. Comparisons of these sequences with those from the symbiotic microorganisms in other termite species revealed the existence of termite-specific groups of organisms.

CRYPTOTERMES IN MANGROVES IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY (ISOPTERA: KALOTERMITIDAE)

AbstractThree species of Kalotermitidae, Neotermes insularis (Walker), Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland) and C. secundus (Hill), were found attacking mangroves in the Darwin region. C. domesticus has been found only in mangroves in the Northern Territory but in north Queensland it can be a destructive pest of timber in service. It is speculated that there may be 2 strains of C. domesticus in Australia; a possibly indigenous form in the mangroves near Darwin and an introduced strain infesting buildings in north Queensland.

TWO FURTHER DOMESTIC SPECIES OF CRYPTOTERMES FROM THE AUSTRALIAN MAINLAND (ISOPTERA: KALOTERMITIDAE)

Abstract Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland) and C. cynocephalus Light are recorded from Cooktown, Bloomfield, the Mossman district, and Yarrabah, in Queensland. C. domesticus has caused substantial damage to houses as it does in similar situations elsewhere in its extensive range from south‐eastern Asia to Oceania. C. cynocephalus appears to be less destructive.