EFFECTS OF JUVENILE HORMONE ANALOGUES UPON SOLDIER DIFFERENTIATION IN TERMITES OF CRYPTOTERMES BREVIS (KALOTERMITIDAE)

ABSTRACT

Pseudergates of Cryptotermes brevis were exposed to the analogous of JHA (methoprene), in an ingestion test with filter paper, in three doses: 240 µg, 120 µg and 24 µg for a period of 20 days. Two types of intercastes were obtained in this experiment: intercastes pseudergate/white-soldier · and intercastes nymph/white-soldier. The percentage of the surviving individuais and the quantities of JHA and ingested filter paper in the different treatments were also analysed. Among the tested doses the rate of survival was higher in the 24 µg dose (83.3%), equivalent to what was observed in the contrais. The greatest transformation (32.7%), was obtained in the 120 µg dose. The higher the dose, the higher the quantity of JHA ingested, while the amount of ingested filter paper was lower in the higher doses. In the differentiation in soldiers the head and the mandibles are the most affected structures. Intercastes were recognized through the morphological analysis of the head and the mandibles and through the incipient wings.

KEY WORDS:
Termites; differentiation; JHA; soldier; Methoprene