黑胸散白蚁的分飞成熟年龄及生殖蚁对子代个体分化的抑制作用

The developmental length for flight and inhibition from reproductives on individual differentiation of colony of Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder

实验室配对饲养黑胸散白蚁Reticulitermeschinensis表明 ,黑胸散白蚁新群体在原始生殖蚁控制下 ,83 30 %的群体在第9年分出了有翅成虫 ,16 70 %的群体在第 7年发生有翅成虫分飞 ,平均分飞成熟年龄为 8 6 7年 ;由补充生殖蚁控制的群体在第 6年即有 5 3 85 %的群体发生分飞 ,第 7年有 46 15 %的群体分飞 ,平均分飞成熟年龄为 6 38年 ,较原始生殖蚁控制的群体发生分飞平均提前 2 2 9年。初次发生分飞时群体内个体数量前者明显多于后者。研究还发现 ,群体内补充生殖蚁的数量与分飞发生的早迟关系不大。作者认为在黑胸散白蚁中 ,原始生殖蚁对补充生殖蚁和若蚁的产生具有较强的抑制作用 ,而补充生殖蚁对上述品级的分化虽有一定抑制 ,但不如原始生殖蚁强。认为黑胸散白蚁群体发展速度在品级分化的调节上起到不可忽视的作用 ,但一定要在生殖蚁分泌外激素的能力开始减弱后才能发挥效应。

The developmental length for mating flight and the inhibition from reproductive caste on individual differentiation of colony in Reticulitermes chinensis Snyder were investigated. The results showed that 16.70% of reared colonies presented flight at the seventh year and 83.70% at ninth year under a pair of first-form reproductives. The duration of the development for flight was 8.67 years on average. But 53.85% of those colonies under replacement reproductive types did flight at the sixth year and 46.15% at the seventh. Actually those colonies under replacement reproductives presented flight 2.29 years earlier than those under first-form ones on average. When the flight took place, the members in colonies under first-form reproductives were much more than those under the replacement reproductives for the former had longer development duration. It was also found that the number of replacement reproductives in colonies had no obvious relationship with the developmental length for flight.Based on these observations, it was inferred that the first-form reproductives could inhibit the differentiation of the replacement reproductives and nymphs much more strongly than the replacement reproductives could do. Even though the developing speed of colonies in Reticulitermes chinensis took an important role in the differentiation of castes, the obvious influence would come into being after the pheromone excreting in reproductives weakened.