11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
[G-09] Comparative Study of Termites in Japan: Individual termite movements reflect foraging strategy evolution
Termites collectively build complex structures. The complexity of their structures can be largely variable across termite species. As living nest structure influences interindividual interactions and collective behavior, individual-level behavior should be adjusted to the species-specific nesting environments. However, it remains unknown how innate individual behavior can be variable across termite species. Here we show that movement of termite workers is correlated with their nesting strategy, comparing over 15 species collected in Japan. Our observation in a petri dish arena revealed that one-piece nesting termites, whose colony life is completed within a single piece of wood, moved less distance than multiple-piece nesters or separate-piece nesters, who come out of their nests and forage beyond single food source. We further investigated their movement patterns qualitatively by fitting them to several probabilistic models and found that one-piece nesters can be differentiated from other termite species. Further investigation into a larger number of species and more complex social contexts could provide insight into the evolution of termite nesting.