Meeting Abstract

P1.1  Sunday, Jan. 4  Opening the Black Box of Colony Foundation in a Polygamous Termite HARTKE, T.R.*; ROSENGAUS, R.B.; Northeastern University, Boston; Northeastern University, Boston hartke.t@neu.edu

Most termite colonies are founded by a monogamous pair (king and queen) following the dispersal flight, but a few species have variable breeding strategies whereby new colonies may be founded by multiple queens and/or kings. About one-third of mature Nasutitermes corniger colonies are headed by multiple queens and/or kings; two-thirds of those bear genetic hallmarks of foundation by non-relatives. Little is known about the incipient stage of colony development, or the costs and benefits of polygamous versus monogamous founding in termites. In the present study, laboratory and field studies were undertaken to open the black box between dispersal of reproductives and appearance of young arboreal colonies. Nest-collected N. corniger alate reproductives were collected in and around Gamboa and Galeta, Panama. Between 2006 and 2008, 5,372 experimental incipient N. corniger colonies were established in the lab, while manipulating group size (pairs, trios, quintets) and origin of founders (nestmates, non-nestmates). Incipient colonies were censused daily for 120 days to record demographic information: deaths of founders, first appearances of eggs, larvae, workers, and soldiers. Naturally-established incipient colonies from the field were preserved and analyzed to compare their demographics with those of lab-established colonies. Data from the field appear to be consistent with laboratory results. Results from mesocosm experiments indicate that additional reproductives may be accepted during colony foundation, while preference for group or pair founding could depend on colony of origin.