Unrounded Scattered Termite Reproductive System

Reproduction refers to the continuation of a species to produce offspring, or the process of biological production of new individual, which is the essential question of the formation, development and evolution of a certain species. In social insects, the act or physiological process of reproduction was fulfilled by reproductive caste. Besides the primary queen and king, the reproductive castes include various types of neotenics in subterranean termites. In many termite species, abundant neotenics appear in colonies when the primary reproductive die, and take over the reproductive function to maintain the colonies. Some species even differentiate neotenics in the presence of primary reproductive and serve as supplementary reproductive. And that every type of neotenics is made up of individuals from both sexes, they constituted a complete reproduction system with the primary reproductive in the colony.A diverse and flexible breeding systems and the reproductive ability of various types of reproductives in this breeding systems are essential for maintaining and expanding a termite colony, and it is also the base for a termite colony dispersing to outbreed and development of fitness. Therefore, the study of the mating systems and reproductive biology characteristics of termites has important significance to efficiently termite control and the use of termite resources. At present, the study about the mating systems and reproductive biology characteristics of termites was very poor. This paper investigates the reproductive system of Reticulitermes labralis by using the methods of ethology, morphology and genetic analysis with micro satellite markers. The main conclusions are as follows.1. There are three types of conspicuous neotenics in R. labralis, ergatoids, nymphoids and adultoid form reproductive (AFR: floppy winged form and stay in the natal colony as supplementary reproductive after lost their wings), which are differentiated from W4-W5workers, N4-N6nymphs and N6nymphs, respectively. The AFR were very similar to the adultoid in higher termites except for its larval characteristics and differentiated from N6nymphs, they could be classified as a new type of secondary reproductive besides nymphoid and ergatoid varieties in R. labralis. 2. The neotenics are main fertility in termite colony. The fecundity of the secondary queen within the initial orphaned colonies are abundant than that of the primary queen within the initial colonies established by alates. In mature colonies, a large number of neotenics collectively help produce larger communities.R. labralis is not able to produce offspring by parphenogenesis. μmMale workers can mate with female alates under laboratory conditions, even if these male workers do not development into conspicuous ergatoids. Therefore, functional male workers can be involved in the reproduction system. The phenomenon of male workers mating with female alates provides the possibility of a new method of colonization.4. In the reproductive castes of R. labralis, polyandry is also existed in colony besides polygamy. Larger number of sexual reproductive individuals existing together in a single colony make the copulatory selectivity more extensive and increase the genetic diversity of the termite colony.