Papel dos sinais químicos na seleção de recurso em Nasutitermes corniger (Blattodea: Isoptera)

Abstract

Environments are formed by patches of resources with different suitability to the organisms. During foraging, organisms need to assess the costs and benefits involved in using a resource in order to make an appropriate choice for the exploration and use of that resource. An energy-efficient way of locating the resource to be explored is to use cues left by other organisms in the environment (i.e., social information). In the present study, we evaluated the role of intra- and interspecific chemical cues in the selection of food resource in Nasutitermes corniger (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae). For this, we test the hypothesis that individuals of N. corniger are able to perceive and to avoid resources already used by different colonies of the same species and from different species. Initially, linear trail bioassays were conducted in order to verify the perception of intra- and interspecific chemical cues by N. corniger workers. Then, resource selection bioassays with a chance of choice were performed in order to evaluate the individuals' choice for food resources with intra- and interspecific chemical cues. In general, our results showed that chemical cues seem to modulate the food resource selection in N. corniger. The comprehension of the mechanisms involved in the resource selection plays a important role in the distribution of organisms in the environments, as well as the coexistence of termite species at local scale.