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Reticulitermes speratus
Species of termite

Reticulitermes speratus, the Japanese termite, is a species of subterranean termite found in Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. It eats decayed wood. It is adapted to withstand the cold temperatures of the temperate regions it inhabits.

The mitochondrial genome of the subspecies Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis has been determined.

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Behavior

New colonies are typically founded by a male-female pair, but alternatively sometimes by a same-sex female pair, in which case reproduction is parthenogenetic.5 New incipient colonies may also be founded by same-sex male pairs.6 These male pairs of termites cannot reproduce, but by cooperating they are able to survive long enough that one or both has the potential to later replace a male in another colony. This male can then reproduce by mating with the female there .7

The queen is succeeded by asexual reproduction, in which an aged queen lays eggs with no openings for sperm to enter through, effectively making a clone of herself.89 All individuals have part of their eyes developed, but the size increases if the individual is on a reproductive tract.10

Individuals have been shown to cannibalize injured nestmates.11

Queen longevity

R. speratus queens achieve a long lifespan without sacrificing fecundity. These queens have more than twice the catalase activity and seven times higher expression of the catalase gene RsCAT1 than workers, soldiers and nymphs.12 Catalase catalyses the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, a reactive oxygen species. Thus catalase protects against oxidative stress and oxidative DNA damage.13 The extended longevity of R. speratus queens is likely due, in part, to efficient antioxidant capability.

References

  1. Choi, Kwang-Soon; Kim, Hyun Kyung; Lee, Byung-Ho; Kim, Bong-Su; Yang, Jung-Ho; Koo, Hyun-Na; Kim, Gil-Hah (April 2014). "Fumigant toxicity of phosphine to the Japanese termite, Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)". Journal of Stored Products Research. 57: 24–29. doi:10.1016/j.jspr.2014.01.003. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  2. Kamaluddin, Nadia; Matsuyama, Shigeru; Nakagawa-Izumi, Akiko (2017-03-06). "Feeding Deterrence to Reticulitermes speratus (Kolbe) by Fibroporia radiculosa (Peck) Parmasto 1968". Insects. 8 (1): 29. doi:10.3390/insects8010029. ISSN 2075-4450. PMC 5371957. PMID 28272326. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5371957 ↩

  3. Choi, BaekYong; Itakura, Shiji; Yoshimura, Tsuyoshi (2016-09-01). "Do northern populations of Reticulitermes speratus (Kolbe) possess an additional physiological capacity to cold-acclimate that enhances cold tolerance during the winter?". Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. 19 (3): 643–649. Bibcode:2016JAsPE..19..643C. doi:10.1016/j.aspen.2016.06.010. ISSN 1226-8615. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier) ↩

  4. Lee, Wonhoon; Han, Taeman; Lee, Jong-Ho; Hong, Ki-Jeong; Park, Jongsun (January 2017). "The complete mitochondrial genome of the subterranean termite, Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis Morimoto, 1968 (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)". Mitochondrial DNA Part B. 2 (1): 178–179. doi:10.1080/23802359.2017.1303341. ISSN 2380-2359. PMC 7799455. PMID 33473759. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7799455 ↩

  5. Matsuura, K.; Nishida, T. (2018). "Comparison of colony foundation success between sexual pairs and female asexual units in the termite Reticulitermes speratus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)". Population Ecology. 43 (2): 119–124. doi:10.1007/PL00012022. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  6. Mizumoto, N.; Yashiro, T.; Matsuura, K. (2016). "Male same-sex pairing as an adaptive strategy for future reproduction in termites". Animal Behaviour. 119: 179–187. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.07.007. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  7. Mizumoto, N.; Yashiro, T.; Matsuura, K. (2016). "Male same-sex pairing as an adaptive strategy for future reproduction in termites". Animal Behaviour. 119: 179–187. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.07.007. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  8. Matsuura, K.; Vargo, E. (2018). "Queen Succession Through Asexual Reproduction in Termites". Science. 323 (5922): 1687. Bibcode:2009Sci...323.1687M. doi:10.1126/science.1169702. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 19325106. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier) ↩

  9. Matsuura, Kenji (2002-09-01). "A Test of the Haplodiploid Analogy Hypothesis in the Termite Reticulitermes speratus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 95 (5): 646–649. doi:10.1603/0013-8746(2002)095[0646:ATOTHA]2.0.CO;2. https://doi.org/10.1603%2F0013-8746%282002%29095%5B0646%3AATOTHA%5D2.0.CO%3B2 ↩

  10. Maekawa, Kiyoto; Mizuno, Sayaka; Koshikawa, Shigeyuki; Miura, Toru (2008-07-25). "Compound Eye Development During Caste Differentiation in the Termite Reticulitermes speratus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)". Zoological Science. 25 (7): 699–705. doi:10.2108/zsj.25.699. ISSN 0289-0003. PMID 18828656. https://doi.org/10.2108%2Fzsj.25.699 ↩

  11. Yamanaka, Y.; Iwata, R.; Kiriyama, S. (February 2019). "Cannibalism associated with artificial wounds on the bodies of Reticulitermes speratus workers and soldiers (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)". Insectes Sociaux. 66 (1): 107–117. doi:10.1007/s00040-018-0661-4. ISSN 0020-1812. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  12. Tasaki E, Kobayashi K, Matsuura K, Iuchi Y (2017). "An Efficient Antioxidant System in a Long-Lived Termite Queen". PLOS ONE. 12 (1): e0167412. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1267412T. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0167412. PMC 5226355. PMID 28076409. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5226355 ↩

  13. Tasaki E, Kobayashi K, Matsuura K, Iuchi Y (2017). "An Efficient Antioxidant System in a Long-Lived Termite Queen". PLOS ONE. 12 (1): e0167412. Bibcode:2017PLoSO..1267412T. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0167412. PMC 5226355. PMID 28076409. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5226355 ↩