Radiation in termites: the importance of recognition cues

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Radiations of termite genera are poorly understood. In contrast to the morphological uniformity of termites, termites use a considerable diversity of chemical substances to interact with nestmates, competitors, or predators. Especially cuticular hydrocarbons are postulated to play a key role in species and nestmate recognition. Hydrocarbons show considerable variations within as well as between species and thus may play an important role during speciation. Hence, they may lead to reproductive isolation. Macromtermes is an ecologically important taxon of semi-arid ecosystems in the Old World tropics. We here use the genus Macrotermes in East Africa as a model to investigate the role of hycrocarbons for radiations in termites. In a combination of phylogenetically based analysis of hydrocarbon variation and experimental analysis of behaviour modulates by hydrocarbons we wish to explore the role of hydrocarbons for the radiation of the genus Macrotermes.