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Replacement of the royal pair in Macrotermes michaelseni

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

R. Sieber  and
J. P. E. C. Darlington
R. Sieber
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
J. P. E. C. Darlington
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
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Abstract

At intervals of 2 months over 1 year, 64 royal cells were removed from mounds of Macrotermes michaelseni to find out whether a new royal pair was produced. In five mounds replacement reproductives were found. Young reproductives from incipient laboratory colonies were never accepted as replacements if they were introduced after the removal of the primary reproductives. One out of 10 royal pairs was accepted if the royal cell was introduced immediately after removal of the original one, and three out of 10 survived if the royal cell was introduced 1 week after the removal of the original one.

Replacement reproductives were only produced when nymphs or alates were in the nest at the time the primary reproductives were removed. It was not possible to find out at what time after the removal a new royal pair was accepted but measurements of the replacement queens showed that they can become fully physogastric within 7 months.

Keywords

Macrotermes michaelseniMacrotermitinaeIsopteraroyal pairreplacement reproductivesalatesnymphs
Type
Articles
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 3 , Issue 1 , March 1982 , pp. 39 - 42
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1982

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References

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