Subterranean termites, Reticulitermes spp., were attracted to carbon dioxide (CO2) in laboratory and Þeld tests. In behavioral bioassays, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), Reticulitermes tibialisBanks, andReticulitermes virginicusBankswere attracted toCO2 concentrations between5 and 50 mmol/mol. In further bioassays, R. tibialis and R. virginicus were attracted to the headspace from polyisocyan...

Bioassayswere conducted to examine the response ofCoptotermes formosanus Shiraki andReticulitermesflavipes(Kollar) towholebodyextractsof termites.Bioassayswerealsoconducted to determine if trail-following behavior could be elicited in glass tubes after different lengths of exposure to termites and if termites showed any species-speciÞc response to exposed tubes. Trailfollowing behaviorwas elici...

In this study, we examine gene diversity for formyl-tetrahydrofolate synthetase (FTHFS), a key enzyme in homoacetogenesis, recovered from the gut microbiota of six species of higher termites. The "higher" termites (family Termitidae), which represent the majority of extant termite species and genera, engage in a broader diversity of feeding and nesting styles than the "lower" termites. Previous...

Termites (Isoptera) are plagued by bad press. They destroy the livelihood of tropical farmers, literally eat their way through our homes, and even threaten our cultural heritage, including assaults on the Statue of Liberty in New York, the ancient books of the Vatican, or the historical city of Isfahan in Iran. One estimate from 2005 put the annual damage at about US$ 50 billion worldwide, with...

Subterranean termites, Reticulitermes spp., were attracted to carbon dioxide (CO2) in laboratory and field tests. In behavioral bioassays, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), Reticulitermes tibialis Banks, and Reticulitermes virginicus Banks were attracted to CO2 concentrations between 5 and 50 mmol/mol. In further bioassays, R. tibialis and R. virginicus were attracted to the headspace from poly...

Termites are pallid, secretive creatures colloquially known as 'white ants'. Although termites and ants are very different types of insect, the confusion is understandable as they share some remarkable similarities. Both follow trails, live in nests or colonies in the ground, in timber and in trees and sometimes invade buildings. Nests are generally under the control of a single queen, and othe...

The several ways termites interact with the plant-soil-litter system are outlined in a conceptual web of pathways to show how distinct actions of termites may impact ecosystem functioning, either positively or negatively. That is, because of their several modes of feeding and nesting, termites may act as agents of decomposition or pedogenesis, pests, competitors of grazing livestock, or as sour...

A hallmark of animals that are eusocial, or those with advanced sociality, is reproductive specialization into worker and queen castes. In the most derived societies, these divisions are essentially fixed and in some arthropods, include further specialization--a tripartite system with a soldier caste that defends the colony. Eusociality has originated numerous times among insects but is believe...

Mound-building termites of the genus Macrotermes actively reshape their physical environment in ways that benefit their colony. Previous studies of Macrotermes have focused on the response of termites to stimuli such as water and pheromones. Observations typically quantify relative preferences between stimuli or the bulk movement of building material. However, for fuller insight into the constr...

Termites are considered to be major ecosystem engineers in tropical environments. However, they are often neglected and under studied, especially in grassy systems. The interaction between termites and fire ecology is one example of this. Given the importance of both fires and termites in savanna systems, it is critical for an improved ecological understanding of savanna biodiversity that the i...