Drywood termites, Cryptotermes brevis (Walker) (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae), are eusocial insects living and foraging in groups inside pieces of wood, in which they perform a suite of behavioral traits ranging from individual to coordinated group activities. Vibroacoustic cues play important roles in behavioral mediation during defense and foraging activities. However, termite societies also exhibit other relevant behaviors, including substrate selection for colony establishment, which has received little attention. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that vibrational cues produced by termites inside pieces of drywood influence wood recruiting of conspecifics using dichotomous choice tests. In addition, we assessed whether the choice affects colony success (i.e., termite survival and wood consumption). Two behavioral activities were recognized among drywood termites colonizing wood galleries – walking and chewing. However, only the chewing cues overcome background noise, allowing acoustic signal characterization and playback tests; thus, they were the focus of our study. Overall, drywood termite groups exhibit random choice among wood‐testing unities, indicating that the chewing cues from the natural and/or playback signals are not used as a social trigger to mediate conspecific recruiting for wood preference and colonization. Nonetheless, the establishment of termite colonies in infested vs. non‐infested wood pieces led to better termite performance in the former, exhibiting higher wood consumption and survival.

中文翻译：

---

枯木白蚁的咀嚼线索会介导木材定植吗？

枯木白蚁，隐短白蚁（Walker）（等翅目：Kalotermitidae）是在木板内部成群生活和觅食的真社会昆虫，在其中它们表现出一系列行为特征，范围从个人到协调的小组活动。振动提示在防御和觅食活动期间的行为调解中起重要作用。然而，白蚁社会还表现出其他相关行为，包括用于建立菌落的底物选择，这一点很少受到关注。因此，我们使用二分选择检验检验了这样一种假设，即由干木片内部的白蚁产生的振动提示会影响同种的木材募集。此外，我们评估了选择是否影响菌落的成功（即白蚁存活率和木材消耗）。在定居于木廊中的枯木白蚁中，发现了两种行为活动：行走和咀嚼。但是，只有咀嚼提示才能克服背景噪音，从而可以进行声学信号表征和回放测试；因此，它们是我们研究的重点。总体而言，枯木白蚁群体在木材测试单位之间表现出随机选择，这表明来自自然和/或回放信号的咀嚼提示并未被用作社会诱因，以调解针对木材偏好和定居的专一性招募。尽管如此，在受侵染和未受侵染的木块中建立白蚁菌落可以使前者的白蚁性能更好，木材消耗和存活率更高。进行声学信号表征和回放测试；因此，它们是我们研究的重点。总体而言，枯木白蚁群体在木材测试单位之间表现出随机选择，这表明来自自然和/或回放信号的咀嚼提示并未被用作社会诱因来调解针对木材偏爱和定居的专一性招募。尽管如此，在受侵染和未受侵染的木块中建立白蚁菌落可以使前者的白蚁性能更好，木材消耗和存活率更高。进行声学信号表征和回放测试；因此，它们是我们研究的重点。总体而言，枯木白蚁群体在木材测试单位之间表现出随机选择，这表明来自自然和/或回放信号的咀嚼提示并未被用作社会诱因来调解针对木材偏爱和定居的专一性招募。尽管如此，在受侵染和未受侵染的木块中建立白蚁菌落可以使前者的白蚁性能更好，木材消耗和存活率更高。这表明来自自然和/或回放信号的咀嚼提示未用作调节木材喜好和定居的特定物种募集的社会触发因素。尽管如此，在受侵染和未受侵染的木块中建立白蚁菌落可以使前者的白蚁性能更好，木材消耗和存活率更高。这表明来自自然和/或回放信号的咀嚼提示未用作调节木材喜好和定居的特定物种募集的社会触发因素。尽管如此，在受侵染和未受侵染的木块中建立白蚁菌落可以使前者的白蚁性能更好，木材消耗和存活率更高。