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<p>In termites, obligatory inquilines are species living completely enclosed within a host’s nest. This situation often obliges inquilines to live disguise as hosts or remain separated from them. They must also find food inside the host nest through predation, direct food transfer from the host (trophallaxis), exploitation of the host's food stores (cleptobiosis), scavenging on host’s refuse, or exploitation of the host nest material itself. Here, we investigated whether the obligatory inquiline, <i>Inquilinitermes inquilinus,</i> imposes costs on its host, <i>Constrictotermes cavifrons</i>, by studying their alimentary niches. We recorded the host’s foraging and construction behavior and analyzed microscopically the nest material and crop contents of both species to assess diet segregation. The analysis of <i>C. cavifrons</i>' foraging behavior revealed that although this species carries pellets into the nest, it does not store food. These pellets, composed of soil are mixed with feces for nest construction, while food is carried in crops. Therefore, inquilines do not have access to stored food inside the nest. Moreover, crop content analysis showed the host is phytophagous, feeding on microepiphytes such as lichen, algae, fungi, and bryophytes, while the inquiline is humivorous, with his crop containing principally macerated organic matter and mineral crystals. <i>I. inquilinus</i> feed most likely on dark organic matter accumulated in the nest bottom which is probably compose of host refuse mixed with soil. This dietary segregation minimizes direct nutritional competition between the inquiline and its host while <i>I. inquilinus</i> still relies on the host’s nest as a resource.</p>

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One nest, two niches? Distribution of alimentary resources between an inquiline termite and its host

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年6月11日

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  • J. Timmermans,
  • M. Tsishyn,
  • N. Fontaine,
  • Y. Roisin

摘要

In termites, obligatory inquilines are species living completely enclosed within a host’s nest. This situation often obliges inquilines to live disguise as hosts or remain separated from them. They must also find food inside the host nest through predation, direct food transfer from the host (trophallaxis), exploitation of the host's food stores (cleptobiosis), scavenging on host’s refuse, or exploitation of the host nest material itself. Here, we investigated whether the obligatory inquiline, Inquilinitermes inquilinus, imposes costs on its host, Constrictotermes cavifrons, by studying their alimentary niches. We recorded the host’s foraging and construction behavior and analyzed microscopically the nest material and crop contents of both species to assess diet segregation. The analysis of C. cavifrons' foraging behavior revealed that although this species carries pellets into the nest, it does not store food. These pellets, composed of soil are mixed with feces for nest construction, while food is carried in crops. Therefore, inquilines do not have access to stored food inside the nest. Moreover, crop content analysis showed the host is phytophagous, feeding on microepiphytes such as lichen, algae, fungi, and bryophytes, while the inquiline is humivorous, with his crop containing principally macerated organic matter and mineral crystals. I. inquilinus feed most likely on dark organic matter accumulated in the nest bottom which is probably compose of host refuse mixed with soil. This dietary segregation minimizes direct nutritional competition between the inquiline and its host while I. inquilinus still relies on the host’s nest as a resource.