Soldier-Specific Terpenoid Compounds of the Japanese Reticulitermes (Isoptera, Rhinotermitidae)

Abstract

Terpenoid secretions specific to termite soldiers were analyzed in Reticulitermes speratus speratus (Rss), R. speratus kyushuensis (Rsk), R. kanmonensis (Rk) and R. okinawanus (Ro), and 3 quantitatively major compounds were successfully identified. All these species possessed β-selinene whose content was high in soldiers of Rss and Rsk. While δ-cadinene was detected only in Ro, (S)-(+)-(E,E)-geranyllinalool was first detected in the other species. Both soldiers of Rk and Rsk contained a large amount of this compound. Except for Ro, the soldier-specific terpenoids were identical among Rss, Rsk and Rk.