Cuticular hydrocarbons of dampwood termites,Zootermopsis: Intra- and intercolony variation and potential as taxonomic characters

Abstract

Colonies ofZootermopsis were collected from the central Sierra Nevada and the Monterey Penninsula in California, and from southern Arizona. Cuticular hydrocarbons were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and quantified by gas-liquid chromatography (GLC) for each caste of all colonies. Four consistent and distinct cuticular hydrocarbon patterns, or chemical phenotypes, were identified. Unique and abundant monomethyl- and dimethylalkanes, and ann-alkene provided easy separation of the various phenotypes. Significant differences in the proportions of the various components were found among castes within a colony and colonies within phenotypes from California. Differences in the hydrocarbon proportions for castes were not consistent between colonies. The current taxonomy of the genusZootermopsis recognizes three species. Our identification of four consistent, unique cuticular hydrocarbon phenotypes from the three described species should alert systematists and others to a major concern. If there are truly only three extant species, then the hypothesis that cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in this genus are species specific is not acceptable. Conversely, if cuticular hydrocarbon profiles are truly species specific, then there is at least one new, undescribed species ofZootermopsis.