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How host diet impact the life of termitophiles: insights from the Corotoca–Constrictotermes cyphergaster relationship

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Abstract

Termites (Blattodea: Isoptera) participate in interactions with various other species of organisms. Many termite-associated invertebrates, such as Corotocini beetles (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), have direct interactions with their hosts. These insects are fed by the host colony’s workers via stomodeal trophallaxis. The best-known termite–termitophile system occurs between Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Nasutitermitinae) and Corotoca spp. (Aleocharinae), but the feeding ecology of this relationship remains mostly unknown. Here, we evaluated the effect of the quality of food consumed by the host colony’s workers on the survival of termitophiles. We tested the hypothesis that different resources would affect beetle survival, with the expectation that the consumption of lichen as a food resource would reduce beetle survival. In addition, we quantified the frequency of trophallactic interactions based on the proposed treatments. We observed that beetles fed by termites that consumed lichen biomass survived for less time than the control group. The analyses also revealed that when food was ingested, there is a higher frequency of trophallaxis between the beetles and termites regardless of the resource ingested. This result could be interpreted as a physiological process of the beetles and a manifestation of perceptual capacity. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that Corotoca termitophiles might use gustatory cues as indicators of colony activities, such as foraging, which is when termitophiles perform larviposition.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Carla Gomes and Cicero Nascimento for allowing us to collect biological material on their property and for their gracious hospitality. Dr. Paulo Cristaldo gave valuable suggestions on earlier drafts of this work. Over the course of this study, IE was supported by a CAPES scholarship and KGR by a CNPq/Pibic/UEPB scholarship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Fisiologia e Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, Brazil

    Igor Eloi

  2. Departamento de Agronomia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil

    Kézia Gomes Ribeiro

  3. Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil

    Maria Avany Bezerra-Gusmão

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  1. Igor Eloi
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  2. Kézia Gomes Ribeiro
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The study was conceptualized by IE and MABG. The field collections and bioessays were run by IE and KGR. Data analysis and first draft were prepared by IE. Funds raising and project coordination by MABG. All the authors provided discussion and edits to the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Igor Eloi.

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Eloi, I., Ribeiro, K.G. & Bezerra-Gusmão, M.A. How host diet impact the life of termitophiles: insights from the Corotoca–Constrictotermes cyphergaster relationship. Insect. Soc. 70, 317–325 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-023-00924-5

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