How inquilinism shaped breeding systems in a termite host-inquiline relationship

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Animal Behavior

Background:

• Social insects display varied nesting and foraging strategies, including inquilinism, where one species lives in another's nest.
• Obligatory inquilines face challenges in colony establishment due to limited host colony availability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how inquilinism influences reproductive strategies in a termite host-inquiline relationship.
• To compare the reproductive patterns of the inquiline *Inquilinitermes inquilinus* with its host *Constrictotermes cavifrons*.

Main Methods:

• A microsatellite marker study was conducted on *Inquilinitermes inquilinus* and *Constrictotermes cavifrons*.
• Proportions of simple, extended, and mixed families were analyzed.
• The presence of neotenics, parthenogenesis, and multiple foundations was recorded.

Main Results:

• Host colonies were predominantly simple and monodomous (95%).
• Inquiline colonies showed a higher incidence of extended (30%) and mixed (5%) families, with frequent neotenics (25%).
• Parthenogenesis was observed in female-inquiline pairs, and multiple foundations were documented within host nests.

Conclusions:

• The host species exhibits a typical monogamous colony pattern, consistent with dispersed resource availability.
• The inquiline species displays varied reproductive patterns, reflecting intense competition and resource acquisition within host nests.
• Inquilines must overcome foundation site limitations by competing, merging, or absorbing neighboring colonies.