Termitarium volume as a determinant of invasion by obligatory termitophiles and inquilines in the nests of Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae)
Termitarium volume as a determinant of invasion by obligatory termitophiles and inquilines in the nests of Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae)
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DOI：
10.1007/s00040-012-0249-3
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发表时间：
2012-11-01
期刊：
影响因子：
1.3
通讯作者：
DeSouza, O.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Cristaldo, P. F.;Rosa, C. S.;DeSouza, O.
在白蚁巢内可以发现一系列的生物体，它们之间的关联程度可以从兼性依赖到强制性依赖不等。巢入侵的动力学研究仍然没有解决，所以同居者如何以及何时进入白蚁巢仍然是一个悬而未决的问题。本研究分析了专性白蚁和旋蚁入侵白蚁巢动态的一个具体方面，即，当巢穴达到临界大小时，同居者是否更有可能入侵巢穴。收集了36个不同大小的黑胸窄白蚁巢，并对其共生区系进行了采样。结果表明，C.专性白蚁和旋翅蚁的巢是依赖于巢的大小。似乎有一个关键的巢大小以上的巢更容易入侵。超过这个尺寸，找到强制性同居者的可能性明显更高。在2.2L的巢中发现了嗜白蚁种类，而在13.6L的巢中只发现了刺蚁种类。这可能表明，这里研究的强制性同居者并不占据C。cyphergaster巢随机，他们依赖的功能，使这些巢适合同居，这是与殖民地的发展。
A range of organisms can be found inside termite nests where the degree of association can vary from facultative to obligatory dependence. Studies of the dynamics of nest invasion are still unresolved, so how and when cohabitants enter termite nests remain open questions. This study analyzed one specific aspect of the dynamics of termite nest invasion by obligatory termitophiles and inquilines, i.e., whether cohabitants were more likely to invade a nest when it reached a critical nest size. We collected 36 Constrictotermes cyphergaster nests of different sizes and sampled their cohabitant fauna. Our results indicated that the invasion of C. cyphergaster nests by obligatory termitophiles and inquilines was dependent on nest size. There appeared to be a critical nest size above which nests were more prone to invasion. Above this size, there was a significantly higher likelihood of finding obligatory cohabitants. Termitophile species were observed in nests a parts per thousand yen2.2 L, whereas inquiline species were only occur in nests a parts per thousand yen13.6 L. This may indicate that the obligatory cohabitants studied here did not occupy C. cyphergaster nests at random and that they were dependent on features that made these nests suitable for cohabitation, which are linked to colony development.