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Undertakers and Corpse Disposal
In The Termite Colony
n North America, termites cause eating the dead, nitrogen-rich material
more than $5 million in damage each from the corpses is recycled back into
year. Eastern Subterranean termites the colony. Additionally, gut symbionts,
Iare the most widely distributed and necessary for digesting cellulose may
most common encountered termite pest also be recycled. Burying behavior, on the
in North America. With colonies that can other hand, ensures that the threat of
grow to the size of 5 million individuals entomopathogens and subsequent disease
and assuming a death rate similar to is eliminated from the colony, which is
comparable termite species, it is estimated especially important for eusocial insects
that as many as 70,000 termites could die living inside the closed system.
in colonies each day. Corpse removal, a When a termite dies is begins to emit
duty performed by worker termites called certain chemicals as it decomposes,
“undertakers” is extremely important for including airborne volatile compounds
colony health. The longer a termite corpse such as 3-octanol and 3-octanone are
remains, the greater the chances for released. This tells the workers that they
disease spread. So, undertaker behavior are dead and they need to be taken care
(removal and disposal of dead termites), of. These chemicals do not persist for long
performed by worker termites, is and dissipate over time. Fatty acids are
extremely important for colony health. also produced, which are persistent. These
Eastern Subterranean termites have chemicals build up in the corpse over time.
developed two distinct behaviors to The relative amounts of these chemicals in
deal with dead nestmates: cannibalism a termite corpse can provide information
and burying the dead. Cannibalism or to undertakers to help determine what
eating the dead, to do with the dead
provides an termite. New corpses
important service (c)Van Klaveren were eaten if they were
to the colony less than 64 hours
by recycling old (higher levels of
nutrients back 3-octanol, 3-octanone)
in the colony. lower levels of specific
Wood, which fatty acids.
is the primary As a part of a
food for Eastern series of laboratory
subterranean experiments Jizhe Shi
termites is and his colleagues at the
notoriously University of Kentucky
lacking in learned the following
nitrogen. By
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IPMA Connection • 2nd Quarter, 2022 Page 13
