Impact of a juvenile hormone analogue on the anatomy and the frontal gland secretion of Prorhinotermes simplex (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae).
In termites, juvenile hormone plays a key role in soldier differentiation. To better understand the evolutionary origin of the soldiers, we studied the external and inner morphology of pseudergate-soldier intercastes and neotenic-soldier intercastes formed artificially by the application of juvenile hormone analogue in Prorhinotermes simplex. A majority of these intercastes had a soldier phenotype, whereas the inner anatomy had an intermediary form between two castes or a form specific to intercastes. Our experiments showed that traits of neotenics and soldiers can be shared by the same individuals, although such individuals do not exist naturally in P. simplex, and they have not been reported in other species but in some Termopsidae. Our results reinforce the hypothesis that soldiers may have emerged from soldier neotenics during the evolution of termites.
Sobotník
Jan
J
Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Infochemicals Research Team, Flemingovo nám. 2, 166 10 Praha, Czech Republic.
Hanus
Robert
R
Piskorski
Rafal
R
Urbanová
Klára
K
Wimmer
Zdenek
Z
Weyda
Frantisek
F
Vytisková
Blahoslava
B
Sillam-Dussès
David
D
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D012634:Bodily Secretions / Q000737:chemistry*; D004817:Epidermis / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005216:Fat Body / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005260:Female; D006257:Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D020049:Isoptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D007605:Juvenile Hormones; D008297:Male; D052287:Oviparity; D012930:Social Dominance
D007605:Juvenile Hormones