囟土白蚁蚁后卵巢管数量、蚁巢体积与蚁群中各蚁型数量的相关性

囟土白蚁Odontotermes fontanellus Kemner是安徽为害林木、水库堤坝的主要蚁种.研究结果表明:1.在一定的巢龄范围内,随着蚁后身体增长,卵巢管数量增多,一侧的卵巢管最多可达3726条.2.蚁后体长与工蚁数、兵蚁数、幼蚁数、整巢蚁数之间成幂函数关系.3.卵巢管数与蚁后体长、工蚁数、兵蚁数、幼蚁数、整巢蚁数之间成幂函数关系,4,蚁巢体积(y)与蚁后体长(X₂)、兵蚁数(X₄)、的关系式为:y=6.687e^0.0566X₂+0.6741X₄     

囟土白蚁蚁后体形与巢内群体发育及数量的关系

木文报道研究林地囟土白蚁Odontotcrmcs fontanellus Kemner 蚁后体形与巢内群体发育和数量关系的结果.幼年蚁群与成熟蚁群蚁后体长(X)与蚁后体积(Y_V)之间成幂函数关系:Y_v=3.5250×10^-4,蚁后体长与兵蚁、工蚁、幼蚁和整巢蚁群总数之间也成幂函数关系.蚁后体长(X)与蚁群总数的关系是:Y_t=0.02491X^4.2628,蚁后体长(X)与蚁巢深度(Y_d)之间的关系是:Y_d=0.50009X^1.325,蚁后体长(X)与蚁巢体积(Y_n)的关系是:Y_n=0.00098X^4.5611,在一般情况下,根据蚁后体长大小就可预测蚁群量的多少及蚁巢深浅、巢积大小以及蚁路远近,可给治理林地及水库堤坝白蚁的危害提供有用的数据.     

红火蚁的巢间相容性

在室内条件下通过将红火蚁Solenopsis invicta Buren异巢不同品级的个体置于同一容器中,对红火蚁的巢间相容性进行研究。结果表明,蚁后与异巢幼蚁共处时,异巢幼蚁的羽化率为33.3%,与对照处理的38.3%(蚁后与同巢幼蚁共处)无显著差异。工蚁与异巢幼蚁共处时,异巢幼蚁的羽化率为53.7%,与对照处理的72.2%(工蚁与同巢幼蚁共处)无显著差异。蚁后与异巢工蚁共处时,异巢蚁后的存活率为45%,与对照处理的61.7%(工蚁与同巢蚁后共处)无显著差异。有翅繁殖雌蚁与异巢工蚁共处时,异巢工蚁的存活率为86.7%与对照处理的99.4%(工蚁与同巢有翅繁殖雌蚁共处)存在显著差异;异巢有翅雌蚁的存活率为22.2%,与对照处理的88.9%(工蚁与同巢有翅繁殖雌蚁共处)存在显著差异。由此可见,同区域内红火蚁异巢各品级间存在一定程度的相容性,并巢行为有可能发生。     

家白蚁群体数增长的生殖生理特点

家白蚁Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki营大巢生活,由于雌虫生殖潜能很大,群体蚁数极多.群体蚁数的逐年增长和雌蚁卵巢内卵巢管的数目增长有密切关系.实验表明,分飞时的雌虫卵巢有8条卵巢管,初建群体,半年内一群体的蚁数仅为57个.经过四年后发育的群体,蚁数是1,767个,这时的蚁后卵巢管数是75条.二年群体的年幼蚁后腹部稍膨大,三年以上的群体,蚁后的1腹部膨大较显著.一年的群体,雌虫体长是0.78厘米,雄虫体长0.71厘米.九年后的群体,蚁后体长是2.1厘米,蚁王体长为1.2厘米.和卵巢相似,雄虫精巢叶的数目也随时间而增加.     

黑胸散白蚁新群体的建立及发展规律

经十年的室内配对饲养观察,黑胸散白蚁 Reticulitermes chinensisSnyder初期群体配对后5—10天开始产卵,胚胎发育期36—46天,幼蚁经历两个龄期,各龄8—13天,工蚁是幼蚁经两次蜕皮后分化出来,具有上颚自如活动,头宽0.71mm以上;前兵蚁蜕一次皮发育为兵蚁需经历10—13天,触角14—15节,头宽0.81—0.82mm,大于2龄工蚁,初期巢群最早3个半月左右产生兵蚁.当年配对的产卵期3至4个半月,产卵量16—45粒.饲养7—8年后的群体开始出现若蚁(长翅成虫的幼期).9、10年群体发育成熟即产生长翅成虫.解剖三个成熟群体中一个巢原始蚁王、蚁后均存在,另两巢发现原始蚁王、蚁后均死亡,其中一巢由群体内自行补充上了翅鳞型母蚁1头,无翅补充型生殖蚁1头(较小,性别不清),翅芽型3头.另一巢补充上了无翅型大腹母蚁1头,翅芽型1头.通过室内长期连续饲养观察,对该种白蚁新建群体发育成熟年龄及其内在因素已有一定的了解.     

黑翅土白蚁触角感器的扫描电镜观察

【目的】通过黑翅土白蚁Odontotermes fomosanus(Shiraki)幼蚁、工蚁、兵蚁触角感器种类、数量及分布的研究,分析不同龄幼蚁、工蚁和兵蚁的触角感器特征,为进一步研究触角感器发育特点及不同个体的行为分化机制提供参考。【方法】通过扫描电镜观察触角形态,分析触角节数、感器种类、数量及分布特征。【结果】工蚁、兵蚁、幼蚁个体触角长度差异显著,触角长度顺序:工蚁>兵蚁>3龄幼蚁>2龄幼蚁>1龄幼蚁;触角感器共有9种类型,分别为短毛形感器、长毛形感器、短刺形感器、长刺形感器、锥状B?hm氏鬃毛、球状钟形感器、刺突状钟形感器、球状钟形感器与刺突状钟形感器中间型、长刺具泡状感器。工蚁、兵蚁缺少长刺具泡状感器。幼蚁触角感器种类和数量随龄数而增加,1龄幼蚁具7种感器,缺少球状钟形感器和球状钟形感器与刺突状钟形感器中间型2种类型;2龄幼蚁具有8种感器,缺球状钟形感器;3龄幼蚁具有全部9种类型感器。【结论】黑翅土白蚁幼蚁、工蚁、兵蚁触角节数和感器显著差异,可作为幼蚁龄数以及非生殖品级判别的形态指标,应用于白蚁非生殖品级行为多型等相关研究。     

西北荒漠草原针毛收获蚁的筑巢行为

针毛收获蚁Messoraciculatus(F .Smith)是我国北方特别是西北荒漠草原的优势种蚂蚁 ,亦是重要的种子收获性蚁类 ,收获、贮藏和取食 1 0余种荒漠植物种子。自然巢穴深 80cm～ 1 3 7cm ,单一巢口 ,沿主隧道不同深度有水平延伸的各层巢室 ,巢室向四周的延伸范围随巢深减小 ,层间距拉大。自然巢穴的空间结构与社群越冬与种子的深层贮藏有着密切的关系。饲养社群筑巢行为由蚁后主导 ,起始营巢位点数与蚁后头数有关 ,每一蚁后带领 5 0～ 70头工蚁 ,营巢时程 0 5～ 0 67d 60工蚁 蚁后 ,蚁巢有多个巢口。自然与饲养社群的巢穴结构差异很大 ,但两者单一蚁后与工蚁所占的有效巢穴空间是基本一致的 ,自然社群 1 81 3 7cm3 蚁后 ,2 99cm3 工蚁 ,饲养社群 1 5 6 2 6cm3 蚁后 ,2 60cm3 工蚁     

粗纹举腹蚁蚁巢解剖及其数学建模

为了弄清与排泄蜜露的昆虫有密切关系的粗纹举腹蚁Crematogaster macaoensis Wheeler的生物学特性,于2009年8月至2010年7月在云南省墨江县雅邑乡紫胶园采集并调查了42个粗纹举腹蚁蚁巢。粗纹举腹蚁蚁巢类型为层纸巢,灰黑色,筑于紫胶虫寄主植物树干的中上部,由干枯树叶、杂草、碎屑和蚁分泌物粘结而成;巢内疏松,蚁道纵横交错;单蚁后制,工蚁单型;平均每巢的蚁后、繁殖雌蚁、雄蚁和工蚁的数量分别为(1.00±0.00)头,(488.75±242.59)头,(3 096.86±2 923.75)头和(40 839.07±8 597.98)头;卵、幼虫和蛹的数量分别为(9 936.60±2 448.62)粒,(3 214.83±781.71)头和(4 582.00±656.07)个。粗纹举腹蚁蚁巢体积和每巢工蚁数量的计算公式分别为:V=0.365×(43×πabc)1.056和WN=135.236×V0.660(式中V代表蚁巢体积,a、b、c分别代表蚁巢的长半径、短半径和极半径,WN代表工蚁数量)。这两个公式为监测粗纹举腹蚁的种群数量变化提供了一种手段。     

家白蚁的补充型繁殖蚁观察

挖巢防治家白蚁是我国劳动人民的传统方法。但挖巢不易彻底灭蚁,在在有些漏网个体发育成为补充到繁殖蚁,重新为害,仍须继续防治。为了摸清补充型繁殖蚁的发生规律,作者进行了长期观察,现将所得结果简报于下。 一、观察方法 1.室内试验 分为两种方法:(1)用直径为44×24厘米及25×15厘米的玻璃皿,放入适量马尾松木和黄泥,10％草纸,加清水保湿。接种由自然种群采集的工蚁、兵蚁和幼蚁100—150克,盖上玻璃板,每月从皿外观察1—2次。(2)用25×15厘米玻璃板,四周用玻片围好,再用胶布粘牢,并在右边插一小管,以便加水。放入松木片5克,中央放草纸5克,再放吸水棉花保温。接种工蚁、兵蚁和幼蚁100头,每月观察1—6次。     

中华红林蚁形态描述、行为观察及社群结构

调查显示,北京百花山上"蚂蚁山"的蚂蚁为我国林区特有的种类——中华红林蚁Formica sinensis。该蚂蚁分布海拔相对较高,通常在针叶林或针阔叶混交林中筑巢,进行社会性生活。成虫有4个品级:大型工蚁、小型工蚁、蚁后和雄蚁。每个成熟蚁巢中有2～4个蚁后,为多蚁后社群结构。夏季蚁巢中同时存在着卵、幼虫、蛹和成虫。目前还只发现工蚁和蚁后休眠越冬。对中华红林蚁的各个虫态和品级进行形态描述和测定,并记述工蚁的觅食、建巢及清巢、防御与进攻等行为习性。首次发现雄蚁具有明显的护巢行为。同时,还发现在工蚁的外出活动中,标记信息素的作用不是很明显。     

黑翅土白蚁巢群觅食群体大小与工蚁体长呈正相关

【目的】明确黑翅土白蚁Odontotermes formosanus巢群的觅食群体大小与工蚁体长之间的关系,为进一步研究其生态学特点以及更好地开展防治提供依据。【方法】在杭州植物园内选择5处有黑翅土白蚁活动区域作试验点,诱捕并以中性红(neutral red)标记捕获的白蚁工蚁,通过“捕获-标记-释放-重捕”试验测定黑翅土白蚁的觅食群体大小。【结果】5个试验点中有4个成功实施了“捕获-标记-释放-重捕”试验,4个试验点黑翅土白蚁巢群的觅食群体个体数量分别为443 133±45 469, 495 360±67 429, 674 345±101 703和1 224 662±93 112头。黑翅土白蚁觅食群体大小(Y)与觅食工蚁的体长(X)呈正相关,拟合的指数函数方程式为：Y=1.8389e^0.7185X(R²=0.7834)。【结论】本研究明确了黑翅土白蚁的觅食群体大小以及工蚁体长之间的函数关系,为开展区域防治提供了依据。     

Soldier production strategy in lower termites: from young instars or old instars?

We constructed a mathematical model to explain from which instars soldiers should be produced to maximize the growth rate of a termite colony. The model is based on the demography of the lower termite's colony: many of them feed inside the nest. The model predicts the following: (1) When the colony is young (it still has enough food and needs a high ratio of soldiers to workers) it will produce soldiers from young instars. (2) When the colony is old (it does not have enough food any more and needs a lower ratio of soldiers to workers) it will produce soldiers from old instars. This prediction fits well with the fact investigated by past empirical researches. With the samples of colonies of Neotermes koshunensis, we measured the antennal joint number of soldiers of each colony. We plotted the antennal joint number (1) of the average and (2) of the maximum one for each colony, against the total number of colony members. For both in each colony, we confirmed the consistency between the model and the samples: as the colony matures, it produces soldiers from older instars. The model also explains why higher termites produce soldiers from fixed instars. Their life style, in which they go outside to collect food, does not require a change in their soldier production strategy.     

小头钩白蚁巢结构研究

【目的】了解小头钩白蚁Ancistrotermes dimorphus Tsai et Chen的蚁巢结构、各品级在腔室中的分布和巢群个体数量,为有效防控该种白蚁提供科学依据。【方法】采用蚁巢定位和巢体结构解剖法研究蚁巢结构;采用统计法确定各品级在腔室中的分布和巢群个体数量。【结果】小头钩白蚁巢由腔室、菌圃、蚁路、王室、候飞室和分飞孔六部分组成;巢群个体数量为12 255~24 230头(含卵粒);卵、幼蚁、若蚁、工蚁、兵蚁和有翅成虫分散分布在蚁巢腔室中,并不集中于某一特定区域。【结论】小头钩白蚁巢属于极端分散类型,巢群个体数量较少。     

Behavioral Interactions Between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphaenogaster rudis</Emphasis> (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Reticulitermes flavipes</Emphasis> (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): The Importance of Physical Barriers

Predation pressure from ants is a major driving force in the adaptive evolution of termite defense strategies and termites have evolved elaborate chemical and physical defenses to protect themselves against ants. We examined predator–prey interactions between the woodland ant, Aphaenogaster rudis (Emery) and the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), two sympatric species widely distributed throughout deciduous forests in eastern North America. To examine the behavioral interactions between A. rudis and R. flavipes we used a series of laboratory behavioral assays and predation experiments where A. rudis and R. flavipes could interact individually or in groups. One-on-one aggression tests revealed that R. flavipes are vulnerable to predation by A. rudis when individual termite workers or soldiers are exposed to ant attacks in open dishes and 100% of termite workers and soldiers died, even though the soldiers were significantly more aggressive towards the ants. The results of predation experiments where larger ant and termite colony fragments interacted provide experimental evidence for the importance of physical barriers for termite colony defense. In experiments where the termites nested within artificial nests (sand-filled containers), A. rudis was aggressive at invading termite nests and inflicted 100% mortality on the termites. In contrast, termite mortality was comparable to controls when termite colonies nested in natural nests comprised of wood blocks. Our results highlight the importance of physical barriers in termite colony defense and suggest that under natural field conditions termites may be less susceptible to attacks by ants when they nest in solid wood, which may offer more structural protection than sand alone.     

Asexual queen succession in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes virginicus

Termite colonies are founded by a pair of primary reproductives. In many species, including subterranean termites (family Rhinotermitidae), the primary king and queen can be succeeded by neotenic reproductives that are produced from workers or nymphs within the colony. It is generally believed that these neotenics inbreed within the colony, sometimes for many generations. Here, we show that primary queens of the North American subterranean termite, Reticulitermes virginicus, are replaced by numerous parthenogenetically produced female neotenics. We collected functional female neotenics from five colonies of R. virginicus in North Carolina and Texas, USA. Genetic analysis at eight microsatellite loci showed that 91-100% of the neotenics present within a colony were homozygous at all loci, indicating that they were produced through automictic parthenogenesis with terminal fusion. In contrast, workers, soldiers and alates were almost exclusively sexually produced by mating between the female neotenics and a single king. This is the second termite species shown to undergo asexual queen succession, a system first described in the Japanese species, Reticulitermes speratus. Thus, the conditional use of sexual and asexual reproduction to produce members of different castes may be widespread within Reticulitermes and possibly other subterranean termites.     

Development of physogastry in the queen of the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes michaelseni (Isoptera: Macrotermitinae)

Female reproductives of the fungus-growing termite Macrotermes michaelseni never showed signs of physogastry if they were kept in petri dishes to establish an incipient colony. During the 200 days of observation, their corpora allata volume, juvenile hormone titre and number of active ovarioles remained on a more or less constant level, and their gut was filled with soil. In contrast, these parameters are enhanced in partially and especially in fully physogastric queens, and these females had only a transparent liquid in the gut.Application of the juvenile hormone mimic ZR 515 to young females accelerated yolk incorporation, increased the number of active ovarioles and brought about the release of the soil from the gut. The same changes were induced by adding workers to increase the population of incipient colonies from about 45 to 400. This also resulted in an increase of the corpus allatum volume and of the juvenile hormone titre in young females. Their intestine was in this case filled with transparent liquid associated with the increased population of workers. It was, therefore, concluded that the development of physogastry depends on a positive feedback: the more workers are with the young female, the more nutrients are available and the more juvenile hormone the female produces, the more eggs are laid and the more workers can again develop to nurture the queen.     

Colony Populations and Biomass in Nests of the Amazonian Forest Termite Anoplotermes banksi Emerson (Isoptera: Termitidae)

The arboreal nests of the termite Anoplotermes banksi are abundant in Central Amazonian primary rain forests. Colony size of 7 nests (weight 92–6891 g) varied between 2,593 and 39,256 individuals/nest (1.5 – 22.1 g termites/nest). Average body fresh weight was 0.9 mg for workers and 2.1 mg for alates. Queens weighed 10–30 mg. No relationship between nest weight and maturity was detected, as the ratio of workers to larvae was 1:1, independent of nest size, and alates were found in nests weighing less than 200 g. Nests of A. banksi (12–18 ha -1) accounted for 12–15% of the nest density of all Isopteran species, but the calculated fresh weight of the termites of this species (15–23 mg/m 2) represented only 0.2–0.4% of the total termite biomass in the study area.     

Colony structure and caste distribution in living trees of the Ryukyu drywood termite,Neotermes sugioi (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae) in Okinawa Island

Termites are major pests of houses and buildings, and also living plants such as agricultural crops, trees in forests, urban areas and gardens. However, in Japan, the basic ecology of termites nesting in living trees is not fully understood. In this study, we observed 255 colonies (nests) of the drywood termite Neotermes sugioi, collected in the field on Okinawa Island, and reported the frequency composition of the reproductive castes, the size of wood with termite gallery, the population size of colonies, and the relative position of the reproductive and non-reproductive castes within nests. Most colonies were headed by a primary queen and a primary king. However, colonies headed only by primary queens, primary kings, or neotenic kings, each accounted for approximately 5% of the colonies. A colony size of 1,000– 4,000 individuals (2058.2 ± 1695.0 [mean ± SD]) was common and the average length of colony branches was less than 100 cm. Queens and kings were found in the same or nearby nest areas, and more predominantly in the central or root side of nest wood areas. The termites may experience colony fragmentation and reproductive loss as a consequence of typhoons. Incipient colonies (i.e., colonies at an early stage of development) were found on 11.3% of branches of Leucaena leucocephala that did not show any obvious signs of infestation. In future research, it will be necessary to update the list of trees damaged by this termite species, compare the damage by tree species, and evaluate the economic impact.     

THE POPULATION OF A LARGE MOUND OF NASUTITERMES EXITIOSUS (HILL) (ISOPTERA: TERMITIDAE)

i
More than 2.5 million termites, weighing 11.05 kg, were obtained from a mound colony of Nasutitermes exitiosus (Hill). Because of the unusually large size of the colony examined, and the favourable conditions that were experienced for extracting the termites, it is thought that this figure is close to the upper limit of nest population attained by this termite.