Can Termites Reproduce Without a Queen?

Wouter

Termites can reproduce asexually and can form colonies in a short amount of time. This is a unique trait in insects. It allows termites to survive in all types of conditions, and can also lead to the evolution of new species.

Asexual reproduction doesn’t require the energy of a genetic process, and it also reduces the risk of inbreeding between a fertile king and a weaker queen. However, the asexually produced babies stay in the colony. They grow up to become a queen successor.

In contrast, sexual reproduction has been known to occur in some insect species, including the Suriname cockroach. Previously, researchers didn’t know if termites could reproduce asexually. But recent research has shown that this is possible in some species.

One of these species, Reticulitermes speratus, has a reproductive strategy that involves two queens. The first is the primary queen, which produces eggs and alates. The second is the secondary queen, which is smaller than the primary queen and is usually connected to the main nest.

The primary queen emits pheromones to keep other females from reproducing. The secondary queen is a backup plan, in case the primary queen dies or is unable to produce enough eggs. The secondary queen has no genetic traces of the king or the primary queen, so her genes are unique. This is important because the secondary queen can replace the dead queen and help the primary queen produce more eggs.

According to entomologist Phil Koehler of the University of Florida, it’s possible to create a species of termites that doesn’t have a queen. The resulting population would have an asexual reproductive system, but would still grow at the same rate as the sexual population.

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