Cuticular hydrocarbons and soldier defense secretions were characterized for collections of Reticulitermes from Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties in southern California. Collection sites included the type locality of R. hesperus. We discovered two distinct taxa, SCA-A and SCA-B, that resemble previously described taxa of Reticulitermes from northern California. There are, however, some chemical differences that distinguish samples from the two regions. SCA-A is similar to CA-A and CA-A', but can be separated by variation in the amounts of several cuticular hydrocarbons, and the presence of substantial amounts of germacrene A in the soldier defense secretion. SCA-B is similar to CA-B, but exhibits geographic variability in cuticular hydrocarbons composition; its soldier defense secretion is comprised mainly of germacrene A, which was not detected in CA-B samples.
Species 1: Isoptera Rhinotermitidae Reticulitermes (western subterranean termite)
Keywords: terpenes, chemotaxonomy
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