Summary
The influence of the reproductives on soldier production was studied in two species of higher termites,Nasutitermes lujae (Nasutitermitinae) andCubitermes fungifaber (Termitinae). In both species, the royal pair has a stimulatory influence on soldier production. The soldier molts are two to three times more numerous when workers are reared with the reproductives. InN. lujae, the king and the queen have an apparently equal stimulatory influence. The reproductives act on both induction and orientation of the molts toward the soldier type. It can be now claimed that inN. lujae, in which the existence of an inhibitory soldier pheromone was recently evidenced, the proportion of soldiers results from the balance between the stimulatory influences of the reproductives and the inhibitory influences of the soldiers. The hypothetical nature of the royal stimulatory influence is discussed.
Resume
L'influence des reproducteurs sur la production de soldats a été étudiée chez deux espèces de termites supérieurs,Nasutitermes lujae (Nasutitermitinae) etCubitermes fungifaber (Termitinae). Dans les deux espèces, le couple royal stimule la production de soldats. Il se forme en moyenne 2 à 3 fois plus de soldats dans les élevages lorsque les reproducteurs sont présents. ChezN. lujae, le roi est aussi stimulateur que la reine. Les reproducteurs agissent à deux niveaux: ils induisent les mues et les orientent vers le type soldat. On peut maintenant affirmer que chezN. lujae, où une phéromone inhibitrice de soldats a été récemment mise en évidence, la proportion de soldats résulte de l'équilibre entre les actions stimulatrices des reproducteurs et les actions inhibitrices des soldats. La nature hypothétique de l'action stimulatrice royale est discutée.
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Bordereau, C., Han, S.H. Stimulatory influence of the queen and king on soldier differentiation in the higher termitesNasutitermes lujae andCubitermes fungifaber . Ins. Soc 33, 296–305 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224247
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224247