Species of termite
Reticulitermes speratus, the Japanese termite, is a species of subterranean termite found in Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. It eats decayed wood.[1][2] It is adapted to withstand the cold temperatures of the temperate regions it inhabits.[3]
The mitochondrial genome of the subspecies Reticulitermes speratus kyushuensis has been determined.[4]
Behavior
New colonies are typically founded by a male-female pair, but alternatively sometimes by a same-sex female pair, in which case reproduction is parthenogenetic.[5] New incipient colonies may also be founded by same-sex male pairs.[6] These male pairs of termites cannot reproduce, but by cooperating they are able to survive long enough that one or both has the potential to later replace a male in another colony. This male can then reproduce by mating with the female there
.[6]
The queen is succeeded by asexual reproduction, in which an aged queen lays eggs with no openings for sperm to enter through, effectively making a clone of herself.[7][8] All individuals have part of their eyes developed, but the size increases if the individual is on a reproductive tract.[9]
Individuals have been shown to cannibalize injured nestmates.[10]
Queen longevity
R. speratus queens achieve a long lifespan without sacrificing fecundity. These queens have more than twice the catalase activity and seven times higher expression of the catalase gene RsCAT1 than workers, soldiers and nymphs.[11] Catalase catalyses the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, a reactive oxygen species. Thus catalase protects against oxidative stress and oxidative DNA damage.[11] The extended longevity of R. speratus queens is likely due, in part, to efficient antioxidant capability.
