Iago Bueno da Silva

São Paulo State University | Unesp · Department of General and Applied Biology

Comparing the size of functionally distinct brain regions across individuals with remarkable differences in sensory processing and cognitive demands provides important insights into the selective forces shaping animal nervous systems. We took advantage of the complex system of worker-to-soldier differentiation in the termitid Procornitermes araujoi...

Termite colony foundation precedes the incipient stage, when the first oviposition cycle takes place, followed by months of reproductive inactivity. The royal couple is supposed to cease oviposition during this period, investing energy to care for the first brood. When a suitable number of alloparents differentiate, egg-laying resumes. Here we foll...

The spermatheca and colleterial glands of female insects are organs associated with the reproductive system, responsible for sperm storage and secretion of egg coverings, respectively. Here we compared the development, secretory activity, and chemical nature of the secretion in the spermatheca and colleterial glands of different-aged females of the...

Colleterial glands of female insects are accessory glands responsible for producing secretions associated with egg-laying. Within Dictyoptera, they synthesize compounds of the ootheca. However, their morphology and role in termites are poorly understood. Here, we compared the morphology, development, and secretory activity of the colleterial glands...

In this review, we summarize the 22 exocrine glands hitherto described for termites, highlighting their distribution, morphological features, and likely function. The secretion from such glands displays a very important role in termite communication, but is also attributed to many other activities performed by these insects, including defense, buil...

Insect spermathecae play a crucial role in sperm storage and maintenance prior to egg fertilization. Within eusocial insects, this structure is well studied in the Hymenoptera, whose queens copulate during a short period early in life and store sperm for up to decades. Within Isoptera, sperm storage and maintenance inside the spermatheca are poorly...

Insects and fungi are abundant in many environments, in which facultative and/or obligate associations involving these groups have been established during evolution. In termites, mutualism with fungi is well reported for some termite lineages (e.g., Macrotermitinae). Within some subterranean termite species (Rhinotermitidae), egg-mimicking fungi, a...

Termite gut comprises a long tube divided into several compartments. The well-developed hindgut includes five distinct portions, in which microbial communities are harbored, being responsible for different physiological and digestive processes. An enlarged compartment of the hindgut, the paunch, comprises a sac–like structure whose morphological fe...

Colony foundation in termites takes place after swarming flights, when paired reproductives seek for a nest site. The “incipient period” (~7-mo after pairing) is crucial for colony success, since a high mortality of the reproductives and progeny is reported during this life stage. Among subterranean species (Rhinotermitidae) from temperate regions,...

The Asian subterranean termite Coptotermes gestroi is a worldwide structural pest, although its reproductive biology has been poorly investigated due to a cryptic habit and occurrence of polycalic nests. In this study, we investigated ovarian development and oogenesis in different-aged females of C. gestroi: fourth-instar nymphs, non-functional neo...

Salivary glands are omnipresent in termites and occur in all developmental stages and castes. They function to produce, store, and secrete compounds, ranging from a feeding function to defensive mechanisms. Here, we provide a complete morphological overview of the salivary glands in the soldierless species Ruptitermes reconditus and R. xanthochiton...

A correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-021-03475-y

Suicidal behavior in termite workers is an extreme defensive strategy, probably a consequence of having a low number of soldiers available in the colony and there being high predation from enemies. We investigated the suicidal mechanism in workers of the Neotropical termite Neocapritermes opacus, which involves salivary gland autothysis followed by...

Neocapritermes opacus is a Neotropical termite, which feeds on a variety of food sources, including highly decayed wood and humus. Similar to many Termitidae, this species contains a mixed segment in the intestine, an anatomic distinct region composed of both mesenteric and proctodeal tissues. In Neocapritermes spp., a pair of intestinal protrusion...

Termites are eusocial cockroaches, which have received great attention due to their diversity of reproductive strategies. Although these novelties allow new interpretations concerning the mating biology of these insects, studies highlighting the structure of the reproductive system are limited to some termite lineages. Here we provide the first com...

Termite soldiers constitute the defensive frontline of the colonies, despite workers also perform such tasks, especially within the Neotropical Apicotermitinae, in which all species are soldierless. Workers of the genus Ruptitermes display an extreme form of defense, characterized by body rupture and release of a sticky secretion. Previous observat...

Termite colonies are usually headed by primary reproductives, which establish nests during the swarming season. However, secondary reproductives may develop in some species and become supplementary or replacement breeders, extending colony lifespan. Here we investigate the developmental origin, fecundity and genetic characterization of ergatoid rep...

Termite colonies are usually headed by a pair of primary reproductives that establish nests during the swarming season. Secondary reproductives may develop in some species and become supplementary or replacement breeders, influencing colony lifespan. Although ergatoids are less fertile than nymphoid neotenics among secondary reproductives, they oft...

Termite societies are abundant in the tropics, and are therefore exposed to multiple enemies and predators, especially during foraging activity. Soldiers constitute a specialized defensive caste, although workers also participate in this process, and even display suicidal behavior, which is the case with the species Neocapritermes braziliensis. Her...

The termite Nasutitermes aquilinus is a Neotropical species of great ecological importance, although it is also considered an opportunist pest, damaging wooden structures in urban areas. The reproductive strategies of this species involves the development of ergatoid neotenics, which differentiate from workers and supply the colony reproduction. Ho...

The termite soldiers are equipped with morphological and physiological defensive apparatus, but despite their specialization, workers of some species also participate and are specialized in the colony defense. Neocapritermes braziliensis (Snyder, 1926) is a mound-building termite with occurrence in the Brazilian Amazonia, which workers display a su...

We tested the hypothesis that the phototatic response of nocturnal insects is influenced by the flickering of light sources by comparing the numbers of insects captured in traps illuminated with flickering and non-flickering light. Four flicker profiles produced by a square pulse wave with different combinations of frequency and duty cycle were inv...