Complex alarm strategy in the most basal termite species
Typ dokumentu
článek v časopisejournal article
Peer-reviewed
publishedVersion
Autor
Delattre O.
Sillam-Dussès D.
Jandák V.
Brothánek M.
Rücker K.
Bourguignon T.
Vytisková B.
Cvačka J.
Jiříček O.
Šobotník J.
Práva
openAccessMetadata
Zobrazit celý záznamAbstrakt
Studying basal taxa often allows shedding a light
on the evolution of advanced representatives. The most basal
termite species, Mastotermes darwiniensis, possesses unique
morphological and behavioural traits, of which many remain
scarcely studied. For these reasons, we conducted a comprehensive
study of the alarm communication in this species and
compared its components to behavioural modes described in
other termites. In M. darwiniensis, the alarm is communicated
by substrate-borne vibrations resulting from vertical vibratory
movements. Another similar behaviour consists in longitudinal
movements, by which the alarm is delivered to other termites
in contact with alerted individual. Both these two behavioural
modes could be used in synergy to create complex
movements. M. darwiniensis also uses chemical alarm signals
produced by labial gland secretion, in contrast to Neoisoptera
in which this function is fulfilled exclusively by the frontal
gland secretion. Moreover, we demonstrated in
M. darwiniensis the presence of a positive feedback mechanism
thought to occur exclusively in the crown group
Termitidae. This positive feedback consists in both oscillatory
movements of alerted individuals in response to alarm signals
and release of alarm pheromone by excited soldiers. Our results
confirm that M. darwiniensis is a remarkable example of
mosaic evolution, as it combines many primitive and advanced
features, and its alarm communication clearly belongs
to the latter category.
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Kolekce
- Publikační činnost ČVUT [1370]