Tong Reina L, Aguilera-Olivares Daniel, Chouvenc Thomas, Su Nan-Yao
Department of Entomology and Nematology, Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Davie, FL, 33314, USA.
Heliyon. 2021 Apr 10;7(4):e06697. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06697. eCollection 2021 Apr.
Subterranean termites are hemimetabolous social insects where most of the individuals in a colony molt on a regular basis until they die. Nitrogen is a limiting growth factor in wood-feeding insects, such as termites. Because the exuviae of molting termites are consumed by nestmates, it is possible that exuviae represent a potential source of nitrogen that could be recycled and be part of the overall nitrogen conservation strategy of the colony. Although it was documented that cockroach exuviae can contain relatively high levels of nitrogen, the nitrogen content of subterranean termite exuviae has not been examined. This study determines the nitrogen content of (Wasmann) exuviae collected from four-year-old laboratory colonies using a carbon/nitrogen analyzer. exuviae contained 11.24 ± 0.64% N (Mean ± SD). The exuviae had a higher proportion of nitrogen than whole bodies of termites (10.46%), wood (0.12%), and organic soil (~2.49%). These results support the importance of exuviae consumption by nestmates during the ecdysis process as an aspect of nitrogen conservation strategies in colonies.
地下白蚁是不完全变态的社会性昆虫，群体中的大多数个体定期蜕皮，直至死亡。氮是食木昆虫（如白蚁）生长的限制因素。由于蜕皮白蚁的蜕被巢友吃掉，所以蜕有可能是氮的一个潜在来源，可被循环利用并成为蚁群整体氮保存策略的一部分。虽然有文献记载蟑螂的蜕可能含有相对较高水平的氮，但地下白蚁蜕的氮含量尚未得到检测。本研究使用碳/氮分析仪测定了从4年的实验室蚁群中收集的（沃斯曼）蜕的氮含量。蜕含氮量为11.24±0.64%（平均值±标准差）。蜕的氮比例高于白蚁整体（约10.46%）、木材（约0.12%）和有机土壤（约2.49%）。这些结果支持了在蜕皮过程中巢友吃掉蜕作为白蚁蚁群氮保存策略的一个方面的重要性。
