Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
When the queen becomes moribund or dies, she may be replaced by secondary
reproductives of various origins (worker line, reproductive line, very occasionally the
soldiers) whose capacity to breed had hitherto been suppressed by the former queen.
In the lower termites, individuals must pass through up to nine different forms before
reaching the primary reproductive stage (Figure III.49a). After completing the larval moults,
the colony pheromone balance directs future development along either the soldier or
replacement reproductive pathways, depending on the physiological state of the colony.
Synchrony is achieved through such environmental cues as the onset of seasonal rains.
