Termite Genome Reveals Details of "Caste System"

The social structure of termites evolved independently from bees and ants, but all the species seem to share similar chemical tags that control a few genes

This image shows various castes of the termite Zootermopsis nevadensis: a soldier (with large dark head), a neotenic reproductive (darker individual without enlarged head), several larval instars (lighter individuals), and a nymph (light individual with darker wing buds) Liebig et al

The genome of the termite has just been sequenced, and it is revealing several clues about how the pests create their rigid social order.

For instance, the new genome, detailed today (May 20) in the journal Nature Communications, uncovers some of the underpinnings of termites' caste system, as well as the roots of the males' sexual staying power.

Social bugs

Like other social insects such as ants, honeybees and some wasps termites live in highly structured "caste systems," with each creature programmed to perform a rigidly defined job. A select few termite kings and queens reproduce, while drones and soldiers work, defend the colony or care for young. [Image Gallery: Ants of the World]

Yet termites evolved their social structure independently from ants and bees, which belong to an order known as Hymenoptera.

To understand how this happened, Jrgen Liebig, a behavioral biologist at Arizona State University, and his colleagues collected dampwood termites(Zootermopsis nevadensis nuttingi) that lived in Monterey, California. The researchers then sequenced the genome of the insects and measured how those genes were expressed, or turned on and off.

Sex differences

The research revealed several insights about termite sexual and social behavior.

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Termite Genome Reveals Details of "Caste System"