白蚁的蚁客

<正> 白蚁是一类多型的、营社会生活的昆虫。白蚁巢内部常能发现许多蚁客(Termitophiles)。较低等的、蚁巢结构较简单的白蚁,其蚁客的种类和数量较少;而高等的、蚁巢结构复杂、特别是具有菌圃的蚁巢,其中蚁客的种类和数量也较多。 作者近年来(1975—1979)在浙江有关地区白蚁防治单位的协助下,自尖叉原白蚁、黑胸散白蚁、家白蚁、屏南象白蚁、黑翅土白蚁及黄翅大白蚁等6种蚁巢内,采集到30多种蚁客。经初步鉴定,它们隶属于节肢动物门中3个纲、9个目、16个科。其中以昆虫纲的种类最为丰     

开发昆虫新资源──浅谈白蚁的搜集

昆虫资源开发是近几年来研究的一项新课题,昆虫学家充分肯定了部分昆虫体内含有多种营养物质,并应加以开发。目前,对昆虫资源开发的文章时有发表,但对昆虫资源搜集方面的情况从未见过报道,现将如何搜集白蚁和进行初步加工的方法整理如下。1家白蚁Coptotermesspp．的搜集白蚁是社会性昆虫,行动诡秘,破坏性惊人,特别是家白蚁对建筑物的破坏更大,一旦发现家白蚁,往往会造成人心惶惶,令人深恶痛绝。家白蚁习惯将蚁巢建于大树底部和土木交接处,质地结实,这为家白蚁搜集提供了定位巢穴的线索。家白蚁蚁巢一经发现,迅速将蚁巢连同白…     

应用昆虫病原线虫防控白蚁的研究现状

昆虫病原线虫是防治白蚁极具潜力的生物杀虫剂,但其在白蚁防控中的应用效果有待进一步研究。本文综述了昆虫病原线虫及其共生细菌在白蚁防治中的应用研究进展,探讨了昆虫病原线虫防治白蚁应用存在的关键问题,并对其未来的研究方向进行展望。     

白蚁跟踪信息素及其类似物的活性比较试验初报

自从1967年Smythe等发现某些真菌寄生过的木材中含有一种活性物质,与白蚁腹腺分泌的跟踪信息素有相似的效用以后,引起了人们探讨白蚁踪迹物质的浓厚兴趣。白蚁是一种社会性昆虫。群体间的觅食、防卫、筑巢、交哺等行为都是通过信息物质的调节来进行的。所以开展白蚁跟踪信息素及其类似物的研究,有可能为我们找出一条新的防治途径。     

白蚁的外部形态和分类系统

等翅目Isoptera(白蚁)在有翅昆虫亚纲进化的谱系中是属于一类比较原始的昆虫,与蜚蠊目Blattaria昆虫有比较密切的亲缘关系。 白蚁有翅成虫的头部形态、前后翅的等同、翅脉的复杂结构以及腹部的形态,都和低等的有翅昆虫或古代绝灭的昆虫相类似。但白蚁的生活习性和兵蚁的形态特征,在整个昆虫纲中是属于极为进化的一个类群。兵蚁的形态极为特化。双眼的退化、前后翅的     

行为生态学(十一):昆虫社会的经济学(3)

等翅目(Isoptera)昆虫等翅目(白蚁)昆虫是昆虫纲的一个大类群,它们的行为变化多端,但全部依靠吃植物纤维为生。白蚁的经济对策同大多数社会性膜翅目昆虫有明显不同。它们的能量收益很少与采食对策相关,而主要是取决于食物的消化和利用效率。从社会比较能量学的观点看,白蚁最明显的特点是,它们常常直接居住在食物资源的内     

鼻白蚁科系统发育研究述评

鼻白蚁科是社会性昆虫白蚁的一个重要类群,包括许多世界性大害虫,且在等翅目昆虫系统发育中占有特殊的地位.本文概述了应用于鼻白蚁科系统发育研究的系统分类学方法,探讨了鼻白蚁科系统发育研究现状及存在的问题.鼻白蚁科不具有单系性,其系统发育问题有待深入研究.     

白蚁防治技术

白蚁是破坏性很强的社会性昆虫。文章从白蚁的探测和监测、物理防治、化学防治、生物源物质防治和白蚁信息素的利用技术5个方面综述白蚁防治技术的最新研究进展。同时展望白蚁未来的研究领域。     

白蚁

白蚁又名(?),江浙一带,俗称白蚂蚁,实际上它与蚂蚁在系统发生上完全不同,白蚁属等翅目,而蚂蚁是膜翅目类的昆虫。同时两者的生活习性及对人生的关系也大不相同。但它们都是有社会组织的昆虫。白蚁种类很多,分布较广。总计全世界共     

家白蚁生物学中的“两种蚁王”和“吸水线”应予以澄清

<正> 白蚁是世界性大害虫之一,全世界约有两千余种,国际昆虫生理、生态研究中心把白蚁列为世界性五大害虫之一,集中世界上最优秀的昆虫生理学家、生态学家,遗传学家和化学家进行研究。 有人说:家白蚁 Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki有“两种蚁王”,红头和绿头,红头是调     

Methane oxidation in termite hindguts: absence of evidence and evidence of absence

A steep oxygen gradient and the presence of methane render the hindgut internal periphery of termites a potential habitat for aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria. However, methane emissions of various termites increased, if at all, only slightly when termites were exposed to an anoxic (nitrogen) atmosphere, and (14)CH(4) added to the air headspace over live termites was not converted to (14)CO(2). Evidence for the absence of methane oxidation in living termites was corroborated by the failure to detect pmoA, the marker gene for particulate methane monooxygenase, in hindgut DNA extracts of all termites investigated. This adds robustness to our concept of the degradation network in the termite hindgut and eliminates the gut itself as a potential sink of this important greenhouse gas.     

Methane Oxidation in Termite Hindguts: Absence of Evidence and Evidence of Absence

A steep oxygen gradient and the presence of methane render the hindgut internal periphery of termites a potential habitat for aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria. However, methane emissions of various termites increased, if at all, only slightly when termites were exposed to an anoxic (nitrogen) atmosphere, and ¹⁴CH₄ added to the air headspace over live termites was not converted to ¹⁴CO₂. Evidence for the absence of methane oxidation in living termites was corroborated by the failure to detect pmoA, the marker gene for particulate methane monooxygenase, in hindgut DNA extracts of all termites investigated. This adds robustness to our concept of the degradation network in the termite hindgut and eliminates the gut itself as a potential sink of this important greenhouse gas.     

白蚁肠道微生物研究方法概述

白蚁是木质纤维素的主要降解者,在森林生态系统碳氮循环过程中发挥着重要作用。白蚁肠道共生微生物主要包括原生生物、细菌、古菌和真菌。在白蚁对木质纤维素进行降解、发酵,从而产生乙酸、氢气和甲烷以及对氮的固定过程中,白蚁肠道共生微生物起着重要的作用。本文对白蚁肠道微生物的研究方法进行总结,概述了各种方法的优缺点,同时对肠道微生物的研究进展进行了总结,以期为白蚁肠道微生物的进一步研究和利用提供参考。     

Termite assemblages, forest disturbance and greenhouse gas fluxes in Sabah, East Malaysia

A synthesis is presented of sampling work conducted under a UK government-funded Darwin Initiative grant undertaken predominantly within the Danum Valley Conservation Area (DVCA), Sabah, East Malaysia. The project concerned the assemblage structure, gas physiology and landscape gas fluxes of termites in pristine and two ages of secondary, dipterocarp forest. The DVCA termite fauna is typical of the Sunda region, dominated by Termes-group soil-feeders and Nasutitermitinae. Selective logging appears to have relatively little effect on termite assemblages, although soil-feeding termites may be moderately affected by this level of disturbance. Species composition changes, but to a small extent when considered against the background level of compositional differences within the Sunda region. Physiologically the assemblage is very like others that have been studied, although there are some species that do not fit on the expected body size-metabolic rate curve. As elsewhere, soil-feeders and soil-wood interface-feeders tend to produce more methane. As with the termite assemblage characteristics, gross gas and energy fluxes do not differ significantly between logged and unlogged sites. Although gross methane fluxes are high, all the soils at DVCA were methane sinks, suggesting that methane oxidation by methanotrophic bacteria was a more important process than methane production by gut archaea. This implies that methane production by termites in South-East Asia is not contributing significantly to the observed increase in levels of methane production worldwide. Biomass density, species richness, clade complement and energy flow were much lower at DVCA than at a directly comparable site in southern Cameroon. This is probably due to the different biogeographical histories of the areas.     

Effect of chemical treatments on methane emission by the hindgut microbiota in the termiteZootermopsis angusticollis

Selective removal of symbiotic hindgut microorganisms by chemical treatments reduced methane emission by the termiteZootermopsis angusticollis. Methane emission from untreated termites incubated in 25% H₂ increased 123%, from 10.3 nmol/termite/hour (U) to 22.9 U. Though linear with time, methane emission was not correlated with termite mass. Hyperbaric oxygen treatments reduced methane emission to unquantifiable levels and eliminated all but the protozoaTricercomitus andHexamastix. Exogenous H₂ restored 5% of methane emission to 1.3 U. 2-bromoethanesulfonic acid, fed on filter papers to termites, eliminated methane production. Epifluorescence microscopy showed that this treatment selectively removed methanogens from symbioses withTricercomitus, Hexamastix, andTrichomitopsis, but the protozoa did not appear to be affected. The insect molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone reduced methane production 86% to 1.6 U from an initial level of 11.4 U. Hydrogen incubation increased this rate to 77% of the initial rate, 8.8 U. Hormone treatment reduced the number ofTrichonympha in the hindgut and induced sexuality in these protozoa. A model suggests thatTrichonympha evolve most of the hydrogen and that methanogenic bacteria symbiotic withTrichomitopsis produce most of the methane in this hindgut ecosystem.     

Phylogenetic relationships of symbiotic methanogens in diverse termites

Termites harbor symbiotic microorganisms in their gut which emit methane. The phylogeny of the termite methanogens was inferred without cultivation based on nucleotide sequences of PCR-amplified 16S ribosomal RNA genes. Seven methanogen sequences from four termite species were newly isolated, and together with those previously published, these sequences were phylogenetically compared. The termite methanogen sequences were divided into three clusters. Two clusters of sequences, derived from the gut DNA of so-called higher termites, were related to methanogens in the orders Methanosarcinales or Methanomicrobiales. All of the sequences in the case of lower termites were closely related to the genus Methanobrevibacter. However, most of the termite symbionts were found to be distinct from known methanogens. They are not dispersed among diverse methanogen species, but rather formed unique lineages in the phylogenetic trees.     

Use of carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in termite research

In this paper, I review carbon and nitrogen isotopic (natural abundance levels) studies of termites. The carbon isotope ratio of CH₄ emitted from termites, together with the emission rates of CO₂, CH₄ and H₂, showed several trends corresponding to the kinds of symbiotic microbes and feeding habits. The fraction of methane oxidized in the nest structure was estimated by comparing carbon isotope ratio of CH₄ emitted from the nest with that produced by termites in the nest. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation in the gut of termites has been shown to have a significant contribution to the nitrogen economy in some wood-feeding termites. The carbon isotope ratio distinguishes between C4 from C3 plants, and the fractional contribution of grass in the diet can thereby be estimated. The carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios in termites are discernible among soil-feeders, fungus cultivators and wood-feeders. Wood/soil-interface feeders have intermediate values between wood- and soil-feeders, and thus carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios are assumed to characterize the degree of humification of the material consumed by termites. It is suggested that carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios are useful indicators of the functional position of termites in the decomposition process. A similar isotope pattern has been obtained in earthworms, suggesting that isotope signatures might be useful parameters in investigating detritivorous animals in general.     

Molecular phylogenetic profiling of prokaryotic communities in guts of termites with different feeding habits

Termites are an important group of terrestrial insects that harbor an abundant gut microbiota, many of which contribute to digestion, termite nutrition and gas (CH(4), CO(2) and H(2)) emission. With 2200 described species, termites also provide a good model to study relationships between host diet and gut microbial community structure and function. We examined the relationship between diet and gut prokaryotic community profiles in 24 taxonomically and nutritionally diverse species of termites by using nucleic acid probes targeting 16S-like ribosomal RNAs. The relative abundance of domain-specific 16S-like rRNAs recovered from gut extracts varied considerably (ranges: Archaea (0-3%); Bacteria (15-118%)). Although Bacteria were always detectable and the most abundant, differences in domain-level profiles were correlated with termite diet, as evidenced by higher relative abundances of Archaea in guts of soil-feeding termites, compared to those of wood-feeding species in the same family. The oligonucleotide probes also readily distinguished gut communities of wood-feeding taxa in the family Termitidae (higher termites) from those of other wood-feeding termite families (lower termites). The relative abundances of 16S-like archaeal rRNA in guts were positively correlated with rates of methane emission by live termites, and were consistent with previous work linking high relative rates of methanogenesis with the soil (humus)-feeding habit. Probes for methanogenic Archaea detected members of only two families (Methanobacteriaceae and Methanosarcinaceae) in termite guts, and these typically accounted for 60% of the all archaeal probe signal. In four species of termites, Methanosarcinaceae were dominant, a novel observation for animal gut microbial communities, but no clear relationship was apparent between methanogen family profiles and termite diet or taxonomy.     

Termite pathogens: Transfer of the entomopathogen Metarhizium anisopliae between Reticulitermes sp. termites

Subterranean termites (Reticulitermes sp.) exposed to whole cultures of Metarhizium anisopliae for 4, 8, 12, or 48 hr transfer disease to previously healthy termites. Healthy termites concentrate grooming activity on diseased individuals and thereby become infected. Termites which have been killed by the fungus are avoided by healthy individuals and are less effective in spreading disease than are exposed living termites.     

Termites Facilitate Methane Oxidation and Shape the Methanotrophic Community

Termite-derived methane contributes 3 to 4% to the total methane budget globally. Termites are not known to harbor methane-oxidizing microorganisms (methanotrophs). However, a considerable fraction of the methane produced can be consumed by methanotrophs that inhabit the mound material, yet the methanotroph ecology in these environments is virtually unknown. The potential for methane oxidation was determined using slurry incubations under conditions with high (12%) and in situ (∼0.004%) methane concentrations through a vertical profile of a termite (Macrotermes falciger) mound and a reference soil. Interestingly, the mound material showed higher methanotrophic activity. The methanotroph community structure was determined by means of a pmoA-based diagnostic microarray. Although the methanotrophs in the mound were derived from populations in the reference soil, it appears that termite activity selected for a distinct community. Applying an indicator species analysis revealed that putative atmospheric methane oxidizers (high-indicator-value probes specific for the JR3 cluster) were indicative of the active nest area, whereas methanotrophs belonging to both type I and type II were indicative of the reference soil. We conclude that termites modify their environment, resulting in higher methane oxidation and selecting and/or enriching for a distinct methanotroph population.