Reticulitermes speratus, the Japanese termite, is a species of subterranean
termite found in Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. It
eats decayed wood.[1][2] It is adapted to withstand the cold temperatures of the
temperate regions it inhabits.[3]
The
mitochondrial genome of the subspecies Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis has been determined.[4]
Behavior
New colonies are typically founded by a male-female pair, but alternatively sometimes by a same-sex female pair, in which case reproduction is parthenogenetic.[5] New incipient colonies may also be founded by same-sex male pairs.[6] These male pairs of termites cannot reproduce, but by cooperating they are able to survive long enough that one or both has the potential to later replace a male in another colony. This male can then reproduce by mating with the female there
.[6]
The queen is succeeded by
asexual reproduction, in which an aged queen lays
eggs with no openings for
sperm to enter through, effectively making a
clone of herself.[7][8] All individuals have part of their eyes developed, but the size increases if the individual is on a reproductive tract.[9]
Individuals have been shown to
cannibalize injured nestmates.[10]
Queen longevity
R. speratus queens achieve a long lifespan without sacrificing
fecundity. These queens have more than twice the
catalase activity and seven times higher expression of the catalase gene RsCAT1 than workers, soldiers and nymphs.[11] Catalase catalyses the decomposition of
hydrogen peroxide, a
reactive oxygen species. Thus catalase protects against
oxidative stress and oxidative
DNA damage.[11] The extended longevity of R. speratus queens is likely due, in part, to efficient
antioxidant capability.
References
^Choi, Kwang-Soon; Kim, Hyun Kyung; Lee, Byung-Ho; Kim, Bong-Su; Yang, Jung-Ho; Koo, Hyun-Na; Kim, Gil-Hah (April 2014). "Fumigant toxicity of phosphine to the Japanese termite, Reticulitermes speratus Kolbe (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)". Journal of Stored Products Research. 57: 24–29.
doi:
10.1016/j.jspr.2014.01.003.
^Matsuura, K.; Nishida, T. (2018). "Comparison of colony foundation success between sexual pairs and female asexual units in the termite Reticulitermes speratus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)". Population Ecology. 43 (2): 119–124.
doi:
10.1007/PL00012022.
^
abMizumoto, N.; Yashiro, T.; Matsuura, K. (2016). "Male same-sex pairing as an adaptive strategy for future reproduction in termites". Animal Behaviour. 119: 179–187.
doi:
10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.07.007.