Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Entomology
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
Foraging is a critical activity in social insects, essential for resource acquisition and colony sustenance. In termites, this behavior is shaped by environmental, social, and genetic factors, yet the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we examined how environmental food and moisture availability, and the age of termites affected foraging activities, along with the molecular regulation of foraging in the Formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, using a combination of behavioral assays, transcriptomics, and molecular biology approaches. First, we demonstrate that food and moisture deprivation (FMD) significantly affects foraging, with termites under deprivation conditions exhibiting increased foraging activity compared to control. RNA-seq revealed that FMD triggered activation of metabolic pathways as a compensatory mechanism to meet energy demands under resource scarcity. Second, our study supported that age polyethism plays a pivotal role in the division of labor, with younger workers remaining inside the nest while older workers engage in foraging. The juvenile hormone binding protein (jhbp) gene, upregulated in old workers and foraging (for), upregulated in larvae, are notable differentially expressed genes, highlighting their role in regulating foraging behavior and task allocation. Furthermore, we explored the genetic regulation of foraging behavior through the for gene, revealing that its expression is influenced by both environmental and social factors, such as photoperiod and soldier proportion within the colony. These findings suggest that for is a key regulator of foraging behavior, modulating its expression in response to internal and external cues. This research offers molecular insights into the complex regulation of termite foraging behavior, shedding light on how environmental, social, and genetic factors interact to modulate task allocation and division of labor. The identification of differentially expressed genes such as jhbp and for provides a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying termite behavioral plasticity. These findings lay the groundwork for further studies on the functional roles of these genes in behavioral regulation and their potential as targets for controlling termites through manipulation of their foraging behavior.
Date
7-23-2025
Recommended Citation
Khadka, Arjun, "Environmental, Social, and Molecular Regulation of Foraging Behavior in the Formosan Subterranean Termite" (2025). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 6850.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/6850
Committee Chair
Sun, Qian
DOI
10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.6850