Understanding the social structure of field populations of subterranean termites in the southeastern USA requires unambiguous species identification. Although dichotomous keys are published for identifying Reticulitermes alates and soldiers, their use is often limited by the fact that alates are seldom (and seasonally dependent) found at field site collection ports. And soldiers, making up only a small fraction of an entire termite colony, are morphologically variable, thus leading to an often confusing species determination. The intended revision of the taxonomy of the genus Reticulitermes, including recent work using chemo-taxonomic, genetic and behavioral characteristics also comprise a survey of the genome of incipient laboratory colonies (initiated and reared in the Dept. of Entomology, UGA) of the three described Reticulitermes species being sympatric throughout Georgia, USA. This required destructive sampling of these termite communities and thus enabled us to examine colony size and caste composition of 60 colonies depending on age and species.
Species 1: Isoptera Rhinotermitidae Reticulitermes flavipes
Species 2: Isoptera Rhinotermitidae Reticulitermes hageni
Species 3: Isoptera Rhinotermitidae Reticulitermes virginicus
Keywords: caste composition
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA