Abstract
In Isoptera, the polymorphism differs from that observed in the social Hymenoptera principally in two ways: the bisexual composition of the society and the hemimetabolous development. The former relates to (and perhaps is a consequence of) the mechanism of sex determination, which differs from the haplo-diploid system of the Hymenoptera. The latter allows the immature stages to play an active role in the social organization and to be subject to different social influences. This, when combined with the versatility of the post-embryonic development, promotes a higher complexity in the caste formation. This is especially noticeable in the extraordinary diversity of the replacement or secondary reproductives, which may be either true imagines, as in Hymenoptera, or have differentiated from nymphal instars or from the workers. In this review, three main topics will be examined: the differentiation of the reproductives (both primary and secondary), their maturation and behaviour, and finally the evolution of the reproductive strategies.
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Noirot, C. (1990). Sexual Castes and Reproductive Strategies in Termites. In: Engels, W. (eds) Social Insects. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74490-7_3
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