Life and Death of Termite Colonies, a Decades-Long Age Demography Perspective

A eusocial insect colony represents a complex biological entity that must ensure degrees of perennity once it reaches maturity (production dispersing imagoes over many successive years) to optimize its reproductive success. It is known subterranean termite invests differentially in different castes time and adjusts functions depending on internal external conditions years activity. However, the current study demonstrates Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki field mature colonies go through dramatic demographic changes breeding structure shifts, even after they have reached By analyzing age demography C. from four sites, we here provide new perspective how may function decades, which reveals each trajectory unique. In way, throughout life, displays own “demographic individuality” drives growth, foraging ability, competitiveness, demography, senescence ultimately death. This therefore narrated story life -and death- decades observation.