Directional orientation of Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)
- Subterranean termites moving in the peripheral tubular network of their foraging area need to distinguish the trail direction. In a natural gallery or tunnel network of Reticulitermes flavipes the branches at bifurcations generally have an acute angle between them. the resulting obtuse angle from the main trail leading into a branch is preferred by commuting termites. In experiments with artificial gallery forks, termites returning from a food source only neglected the trail junction leading to the nest and preferred the trail to a second food source if the angle to the nest was acute. A right angle to the nest was preferred over a straight way leading to a second food source. This preference to the nest increased when the three branches at trifurcations were arranged equi-angular. This preferred orientation could be attributed to attracting odours from close-by gallery material. Additionally, R. flavipes moved more slowly towards a food source consisting of pine wood than on the waySubterranean termites moving in the peripheral tubular network of their foraging area need to distinguish the trail direction. In a natural gallery or tunnel network of Reticulitermes flavipes the branches at bifurcations generally have an acute angle between them. the resulting obtuse angle from the main trail leading into a branch is preferred by commuting termites. In experiments with artificial gallery forks, termites returning from a food source only neglected the trail junction leading to the nest and preferred the trail to a second food source if the angle to the nest was acute. A right angle to the nest was preferred over a straight way leading to a second food source. This preference to the nest increased when the three branches at trifurcations were arranged equi-angular. This preferred orientation could be attributed to attracting odours from close-by gallery material. Additionally, R. flavipes moved more slowly towards a food source consisting of pine wood than on the way back to the nest, as was shown in artificial one-way galleries. However, the significance of this speed difference remains uncertain because the speed of a homing termite in an artificially reversed trail does not slow down to the speed of a food foraging termite.…
MetadatenAutor*innen: | Horst Hertel, Erol Posacki, Rüdiger Plarre |
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Dokumenttyp: | Zeitschriftenartikel |
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Veröffentlichungsform: | Verlagsliteratur |
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Sprache: | Englisch |
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Titel des übergeordneten Werkes (Englisch): | Sociobiology |
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Jahr der Erstveröffentlichung: | 2010 |
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Verlag: | California State University |
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Verlagsort: | Chico, Calif. |
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Jahrgang/Band: | 56 |
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Ausgabe/Heft: | 1 |
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Erste Seite: | 223 |
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Letzte Seite: | 233 |
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Freie Schlagwörter: | Foraging; Orientation; Termites; Tunnel network |
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ISSN: | 0361-6525 |
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Verfügbarkeit des Dokuments: | Physisches Exemplar in der Bibliothek der BAM vorhanden ("Hardcopy Access") |
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Bibliotheksstandort: | Sonderstandort: Publica-Schrank |
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Datum der Freischaltung: | 19.02.2016 |
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Referierte Publikation: | Ja |
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Datum der Eintragung als referierte Publikation: | 15.07.2010 |
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