Comparison of the cephalothorax and digestive tract structure of three termite species
Author of the article:ZHAO Peng-Fei1** XI Yu-Qiang2 XIAO Yuan-Xi1 CHU Jun-Peng1 SONG An-Dong1 YIN Xin-Ming2 SU Li-Ju
Author's Workplace：1. College of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; 2. College of Plant Protection, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
Key Words：Reticulitermes planifrons, Reticulitermes hunanensis, Odontotermes dimorphus, external characteristic, structure of digestive tract
Abstract： [Objectives] Termites have the ability to degrade lignocellulose. Degradation mainly take place in digestive tract. So the research of the shape and structure of termites digestive tract is significance. [Methods] The cephalothorax and digestive tract structure of soldiers and workers of three termite species; Reticulitermes planifrons Li et Ping, Reticulitermes hunanensis Tsai et Peng, and Odontotermes dimorphus Li et Xiao, were studied. [Results] Soldiers of the two Reticulitermes species were not obviously different to each other in the structure of the head, chin and mandibles, but were significantly different in these features compared to O. dimorphus. With the exception of the midgut, there were significant differences in the length of foregut, hindgut, and digestive tract, of soldiers and workers among all three species (P < 0. 05). The ratio of the total length of the digestive tract in O. dimorphus workers and soldiers (1.4) was greater than that in the two Reticulitermes species (1.1). In addition to crop and stomach capsule form, every part of the digestive tract of workers of the three species was significantly different (P<0.05). [Conclusion] The digestive tract was more developed in workers than soldiers, and was more different between Reticulitermesand Odontotermes. These results probably reflect the social division of labor between workers and soldiers, the former are responsible for feeding and nurturing larvae, and the latter for security. The results show that more advanced termites differ from more primitive species, not only in eating habits, but also in the structure and composition of the digestive system. These results also provide useful information for the biological control and utilization of termites as an economic resource.