The Unusual Neotenic System of the Asian Dry Wood Termite, Neotermes koshunensis (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae)
<p>In most lower termites, colonies are headed by neotenic reproductives of both sexes after the primary reproductives (i.e., the queen and king) are lost. The production of a neotenic sexual is inhibited by the presence of a primary reproductive of the same sex. We found an exception in the c...
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| Auteurs principaux: | , , |
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| Format: | article |
| Langue: | EN |
| Publié: |
Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana
2013
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| Accès en ligne: | https://doaj.org/article/bedd2ba9b3684d81a61f7d7f84632dcf |
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| Résumé: | <p>In most lower termites, colonies are headed by neotenic reproductives of both sexes after the primary reproductives (i.e., the queen and king) are lost. The production of a neotenic sexual is inhibited by the presence of a primary reproductive of the same sex. We found an exception in the caste system of the dry wood termite <em>Neotermes koshunensis</em> (Kalotermitidae). The neotenic caste is exclusively male. Moreover, production of male neotenics is completely inhibited not only by the presence of a king but also by the presence of a queen. Therefore, it is likely to be difficult for <em>N. koshunensis </em>colonies to recover their reproductive pairs.</p> |
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