Reticulitermes

Nguyen KB, Smart GC. Neosteinernema longicurvicauda n. gen. n. sp. (Rhabditida steinemematidae) a parasite of the termite. Reticulitermes flavipes (Koller). J Nematol. 1994 26 162-174. 

In European Reticulitermes termites however, 16 known terpene compounds were isolated from the soldier frontal gland secretion, including monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, and one sesterterpene [184]. 

Imamura etal. (1986) exposed particleboard made from acetylated wood to the termite species Coptotermes formosanus and Reticulitermes speratus. A forced feeding test according to the JWPA standard 11-1981, where the untreated or acetylated wood was the only food source, and a choice feeding test (where wood specimens were randomly placed on a termite breeding colony for 30 days) were used. With C. formosanus, there was limited attack of the fully acetylated boards, with about 50 % termite mortality after 3 weeks in forced feeding tests, whereas with R. sparatus there was virtually no attack and 100% mortality. 

Rowell etal. (1987b) produced PF-bonded flakeboard from acetylated southern pine (21.6 % WPG) or aspen (17.6 % WPG) flakes. This was not completely resistant to attack by termites Reticulitermes flavipes) in a 4-week test. It was thought that acetylation was less effective in preventing termite attack than other chemical modifications because cellulose decomposition in the intestines of termites leads to acetic acid formation in any case. 

Particleboards and flakeboards made from acetylated flakes have been tested for resistance to several different t5 pes of organisms. In a 4-week termite test using Reticulitermes flavipes (subterranean termites), boards acetylated at 16 to 17 WPG were very resistant to attack, but not completely so (, 36,37) This may be attributed to the severity of the test. However, since termites can live on acetic acid and decompose cellulose to mainly acetic acid, perhaps it is not surprising that acetylated wood is not completely resistant to termite attack. 

Siderhurst, M. S., James, D. M., Rithner, C. D Dick, D. L. and Bjostad, L. B. 2005. Isolation and characterization of norharmane from Reticulitermes termites (Isoptera Rhinotermitidae). Journal of Economic Enthomology, 98 1669-1678. 

Laduguie N., Robert A., Bonnard O., Vieau F., Lequere J. L., Semon E. and Bordereau C. (1994) Isolation and identification of (3Z, 6Z, 8 0-3, 6, 8-dodecatrien-l-ol in Reticulitermes santonensis Feytaud (Isoptera Rhinotermitidae) - roles of worker trailfollowing and in alate sex-attraction behaviour. J. Insect Physiol. 40, 781-787. 

Cornelius M. L. and Brand J. M. (2001) Trail-following behavior of Coptotermes formosanus and Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera Rhinotermitidae) is there a species-specific response Environ. Entomol. 30, 457 -65. 

Howard R. W., McDaniel C. A. and Blomquist G. J. (1982) Chemical mimicry as an integrating mechanism for three termitophiles associated with Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks). Psyche 89, 157-167. 

Reinhard J. and Clement J.-L. (2002) Alarm reaction of European Reticulitermes termites to soldier head capsule volatiles (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae). J. Insect Behav. 15, 95-107. 

Reinhard J. and Kaib M. (2001) Trail communication during foraging and recruitment in the subterranean termite Reticulitermes santonensis De Feytaud (Isoptera Rhinotermitidae). J. Insect Behav. 14, 157-171. 

Clement, J.-L. (1981). Comportement de reconnaissance individuelle dans le genre Reticulitermes. C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, 292,931-933. 

Dronnet S., Lohou, C., Christides, J.-P. and Bagneres, A.-G. (2006). Cuticular hydrocarbon composition reflects genetic relationship among colonies of the introduced termite Reticulitermes santonensis Feytaud. J. Chem. Ecol., 32, 1027-1042. 

Howard, R. W., McDaniel, C. A., Nelson, D. R Blomquist, G.J., Gelbaum, L.T. and Zalkow, L.H. (1982a). Cuticular hydrocarbons of Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks) and their role as potential species- and caste-recognition cues../. Chem. Ecol., 8, 1227-1239. 

In most cases the double bonds are not conjugated. One exception is the conjugated diene (Z,Z)-7,9-pentacosadiene identified in the termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Howard et al., 1978). In every case where determined, the double bonds are in the (Z) configuration (Blomquist et al., 1987). 

Howard, R.W., McDaniel, C.A. and Blomquist, G.J. (1978). Cuticular hydrocarbons of the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar)... 

Mohamed, M. and Prestwich, G.D. (1988). Hemolymph juvenile hormone binding proteins of Reticulitermes flavipes induction by methoprene and suppression by pheromones. In Endocrinological frontiers in physiological insect ecology, ed. 

Vauchot, B., Provost, E Bagneres, A.-G. and Clement, J.-L. (1996). Regulation of the chemical signatures of two termite species, Reticulitermes santonensis and R. (1.) grassei, living in mixed colonies. /. Insect Physiol., 42, 309-321. 

Asia. Takematsu and Yamaoka (1999) reported a study of CHCs in Reticulitermes from Japan and neighboring countries. They identified three distinct phenotypes among five subspecies of R. speratus (1) three subspecies from the Japanese mainland, (2) R. s. okinawanus and (3) R. s. yaeyamanus, the last two being considered as real species by the same author (from Takematsu, 1999, in Park et al., 2006). In addition, the hydrocarbon components of R. flaviceps flaviceps have been shown to differ from those of R. f. amami-anus, and those of R. miyatakei differed from those of three undetermined species. Based... 

Reticulitermes has been most extensively studied using chemotaxonomic analysis of CHCs, particularly in the USA. One reason for this interest is the great economic impact of the genus and difficulty in describing the different species, which are similar morphologically, especially with their worker caste. The first description of CHCs in a Reticulitermes species involved R. flavipes, another major pest species in the USA (Howard et al., 1978). It was shown that R. flavipes displayed a specific conjugated diene, i.e., (Z,Z)7,9-C25 2, that was... 

Austin, J. W., Bagneres, A.-G., Szalanski, A.L., Scheffrahn, R.H., Heintschel, B.P, Messenger, M.T., Clement, J.-L. and Gold, R.E. (2007). Reticulitermes malletei (Isoptera Rhinotermitidae) a valid Nearctic subterranean termite from Eastern North America. Zootaxa, 1554, 1-26. 

C. (1990b). Cuticular hydrocarbons and defensive compounds of Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) and R. santonensis (Feytaud) Polymorphism and chemotaxonomy. J. Chem. Ecol., 16, 3213-3244. 

Bagn res, A.-G., Clement, J.-L., Lange, C. and Blum, M.S. (1990a). Cuticular compounds in Reticulitermes termites species, caste and colonial signature. In Social Insects and the Environment, ed. G.K. Veeresh, B. Malik and C. A. Viraktamath. New Delhi Oxford and IBH, p.423. 

---