title: Investigation of Age Polyethism in Food Processing of the Fungus-Growing Termite Odontotermes formosanus (Blattodea: Termitidae) Using a Laboratory Artificial Rearing System.
abstract: Laboratory rearing systems are useful models for studying Rhinotermitid behavior. Information on the biology of fungus-growing termites, however, is limited because of the difficulty of rearing colonies in the laboratory settings. The physical structure of termite nests makes it impossible to photograph or to observe colonies in the field. In this study, an artificial rearing system for field-collected colonies of the fungus-growing termite Odontotermes formosanus (Shiraki) was developed to facilitate observation in the laboratory. We recorded colony activity within the artificial rearing system and documented a variety of social behaviors that occurred throughout the food processing of the colony. This complex miniature ecosystem was cooperatively organized via division of labor in the foraging and processing of plant materials, and the observed patterns largely resembled the caste and age-based principles present in Macrotermes colonies. This work extends our insights into polyethism in the subfamily Macrotermitinae.
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China. mojianchu@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hongjie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Xiaoshan Termite Control, Xiaoshan 311200, Zhejiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Mengyi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Xiaoshan Termite Control, Xiaoshan 311200, Zhejiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Yonger
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Urban Entomology Laboratory, Vector Control Research Unit, School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Chow-Yang
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Hangzhou General Station of Plant Protection and Soil Fertilizer, Hangzhou 310020, Zhejiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Ji-Qian
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Agriculture Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China.
authors.forename: Jianchu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mo
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005658:Fungi; D020049:Isoptera
keywords: division of labor; food foraging and processing strategy; social behavior; termite rearing