Oceanic rafting through driftwood has been hypothesized to be a mechanism underlying the transoceanic distribution of termites (Order: Blattodea). To test this hypothesis, we examined the salinity tolerance of 12 termite species from eight genera and three families, namely Archotermopsidae, Kalotermitidae, and Rhinotermitidae. Our results revealed that the survival rates of Incisitermes inamurai (Oshima), Cryptotermes domesticus (Haviland), Prorhinotermes flavus (Bugnion and Popoff), P. simplex (Hagen), and Heterotermes sp. are not affected by treatment with 3.5% saline water, strongly supported that oceanic rafting may be a mechanism underlying the insects' transoceanic distribution. By contrast, Hodotermopsis sjostedti Holmgren, Glyptotermes satsumensis (Matsumura), Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, Co. gestroi (Wasmann), Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks), R. leptomandibularis Hsia and Fan, and R. kanmonensis Takematsu treated with saline water showed dehydration symptoms, and their mortality rates increased significantly within 12 days after treatment. These results indicate that these species are less likely to be dispersed through oceanic driftwood and that their transoceanic dispersal is rather more likely to occur through human transportation or land bridges. Phylogenetic positions and habitats of salinity‐tolerant termites implied that the acquisition of salinity tolerance may relate to both phylogeny and coastal living.

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白蚁耐盐性和漂流跨洋传播的潜力

已经假设通过浮木漂流是白蚁跨洋分布的一种机制（命令：Blattodea）。为了验证这一假设，我们检查了来自 8 个属和 3 个科的 12 种白蚁的耐盐性，即始白蚁科、白蚁科和犀白蚁科。我们的结果显示 Incisitermes inamurai (Oshima)、Cryptotermesdomesticus (Haviland)、Prorhinotermes flavus (Bugnion and Popoff)、P. simplex (Hagen) 和 Heterotermes sp. 的存活率。不受 3.5% 盐水处理的影响，强烈支持海洋漂流可能是昆虫跨洋分布的一种机制。相比之下，Hodotermopsis sjostedti Holmgren、Glyptotermes satsumensis (Matsumura)、Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, Co. gestroi (Wasmann)、用盐水处理的 Reticulitermes virginicus (Banks)、R. leptomandibularis Hsia 和 Fan、R. kanmonensis Takematsu 显示脱水症状，它们在处理后 12 天内死亡率显着增加。这些结果表明，这些物种不太可能通过海洋浮木散布，而它们的跨洋散布更有可能通过人类运输或陆桥进行。耐盐白蚁的系统发育位置和栖息地表明耐盐白蚁的获得可能与系统发育和沿海生活有关。这些结果表明，这些物种不太可能通过海洋浮木散布，而它们的越洋散布更有可能通过人类运输或陆桥进行。耐盐白蚁的系统发育位置和栖息地表明耐盐白蚁的获得可能与系统发育和沿海生活有关。这些结果表明，这些物种不太可能通过海洋浮木散布，而它们的越洋散布更有可能通过人类运输或陆桥进行。耐盐白蚁的系统发育位置和栖息地表明耐盐白蚁的获得可能与系统发育和沿海生活有关。