尖唇散白蚁的孤雌生殖行为及初建群体研究

Parthenogenetic reproductive behavior and initial colony foundation in the termite,Reticulitermes aculabialis

为了证明尖唇散白蚁Reticulitermes aculabialis Tsai et Hwang是否存在孤雌生殖行为和探讨其初建群体的发育特征，本文对尖唇散白蚁分飞成虫进行雌雌配对（FF）和雌雄配对（FM）人工饲养对比研究。结果显示：FM和FF组的筑巢时间和筑巢活动相似；在建巢初期（配对第5天）FF配对组和FM配对组死亡率分别为11．33％和2．67％，FF配对组死亡率显著高于FM组；产卵前FM组的2只雌性个体和FF组的雌性个体卵巢发育程度一致，都有已经完成卵黄积累的成熟卵母细胞。6个月后，FF配对组有7组产生后代，FM配对组有17组产生后代；FF组子代数目显著低于FM组，分别平均为（7．00±1．58）个和（10．33±1．21）个；FF子代全为2～3龄工蚁，而FM组有由3-4龄工蚁分化的低龄兵蚁。最后，我们对新建群体分化出的第一只兵蚁与成熟巢群中的兵蚁进行了形态学比较。我们的结果表明，尖唇散白蚁具有孤雌生殖行为，并且分飞成虫通过雌雌配对和雌雄配对初建群体在发育模式上有显著差异，雌雌成虫配对采用孤雌生殖方式繁殖有可能是野外尖唇散白蚁建群的另一种方式。

In order to confirm parthenogenetic reproductive behavior in Reticulitermes aculabialis Tsai et Hwang and explore developmental characteristics during the initial stage of colony foundation by alates, we established and compared female-female （FF） with female-male （FM） colonies of R. aculabialis. The results show that there were no significant differences in the timing and behaviour of nest building between FF and FM colonies. The death rate in FF colonies was 11.33% , higher than the 2.67% observed in FM colonies after 5 days. All females in FM and FF colonies had mature oocytes and a physogastric abdomen after 5 weeks, indicating that female individuals in FF colonies had the ability to lay eggs. The number of offspring in FF and FM were 7.00 ± 1.58 and 10. 33 ± 1.21, respectively. All offspring in FF colonies were worker caste, whereas FM colonies soldiers could be differentiated from third and fourth-instar workers. The results demonstrate that R. aculabialis can produce offspring parthenogenetically, and that there is a significant difference in development between FF and FM colonies. This suggests that alate adult R. aculabialis may establish new colonies by parthenogenesis in the wild.