Reproductives and eggs trigger worker vibration in a subterranean termite

Area of Science:

• Insect social behavior
• Animal communication
• Termite biology

Background:

• Reproductives and eggs influence colony member traits in insect societies.
• Social interactions, including communication systems, are modified by reproductive presence.
• Vibratory communication in termites is understudied compared to chemical or dominance signaling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of reproductives/eggs on worker vibratory behavior in *Reticulitermes flavipes*.
• To determine if vibratory communication plays a role in social regulation within termite colonies.

Main Methods:

• Observing and quantifying body-shaking behavior in *Reticulitermes flavipes* workers.
• Comparing vibratory activity in the presence and absence of reproductives or eggs.
• Assessing the influence of colony origin on worker responses.

Main Results:

• The presence of reproductives or eggs significantly increased worker body-shaking.
• This increase in vibratory behavior was observed after 24 hours.
• The effect was independent of the workers' colony of origin.

Conclusions:

• Vibratory behavior, specifically body-shaking, is modulated by the presence of reproductives or eggs in *Reticulitermes flavipes*.
• Vibratory communication may serve to transmit information about reproductive status throughout the colony.
• Vibratory signals represent a potentially crucial, yet overlooked, mechanism for social regulation in termites.