4 replies to this topic

[ItalianTermiteMan2.0]

Hello folks, long time no see!

 

Today i want to share with you a few of pics courtesy of one of my young colonies of Incisitermes schwarzi, a very interesting Central American and Caribbean Kalotermitidae with two forms of soldiers, smaller short-headed ones and larger long-headed ones (with sizes also varying among the same form). They also seem to grow fast for a Kalotermitidae, quite a boon for a keeper!

 

 

 

A chamber with pseudergates, brood, soldiers and presoldiers.

 

 

 

Her Majesty the queen, with just an hint of physogastry. She's quite tiny, markedly smaller than large soldiers.

 

 

 

A pseudergate with two cute first stage newborn.

 

 

 

 

 

[MyrmecologyMaven]

Glad to see you back! Amazing termites. Thanks for sharing!

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Could you explain all the cast system I’m termites, I know or heard it somewhere that they can shed to become a different cast member? Like worker sheds to become soldier. Or something like that… What’s up with the big white soldier looking termites, are they like freshly molted? I am not so good at termites and I want to see them more than just some big soft ant feeders.

[ItalianTermiteMan2.0]

Could you explain all the cast system I’m termites, I know or heard it somewhere that they can shed to become a different cast member? Like worker sheds to become soldier. Or something like that… What’s up with the big white soldier looking termites, are they like freshly molted? I am not so good at termites and I want to see them more than just some big soft ant feeders.

 

Regarding the first question (and keeping in mind that all termites hatch from the egg undifferentiated, a newborn one always have the possibility of becoming any caste), the capability of the working caste to molt into other castes depends on the species: in some, which have pseudergates (a totipotent juvenile form that act as workers) rather than true workers, said pseudergates can molt into everything if the need arise: soldiers, secondary royals and primary royals (ex. Neotermes); in others there are true workers, and these can molt into soldiers and secondary royals, but not primary royals (ex. Reticulitermes); in others still there also are true workers but these are a terminal stage that will not molt into anything else (ex. Macrotermes). Soldiers are always a terminal stage and will never molt again.

The whitish soldier-like specimens in the first pics are presoldiers, a short and purely transitional stage present in all (soldiered) termites that precede the fully fledged soldiers.

 

If you have more question, don't hesitate to ask away!

[OwlThatLikesAnts]

Thanks for the clarification, I now feel smarter!