关键词:  白蚁, 外分泌腺, 信息素, 踪迹信息素, 性信息素, 白蚁, 信息素, 信息素类似物, 研究进展

Abstract: Termites are the oldest social insects in the world, and their sociality is maintained by pheromone communication. In this article, the new research progress on termite pheromones in recent years, including trail pheromone, sex pheromone, alarm pheromone and phagostimulating pheromone, is reviewed. The chemical components of the pheromone-producing exocrine glands of termites and their functions are summarized. Termite pheromones are mainly secreted by the tergal gland, sternal gland, posterior sternal gland, frontal gland and labial gland. Most of termite pheromones are volatile substances. Available data indicate a strategy of pheromonal parsimony in the chemistry communication of termites, i.e., the same compound is sometimes secreted by different glands of different species and may have different functions. The similarities/differences in chemical complexity and function of these pheromones between species and between the castes or sexes of the same species are summarized. The activity threshold, optimal concentration, longevity and speciesspecificity of the pheromones that affect pheromone functions are also introduced. At present, researches of termite pheromones are still in the initial stage. The research results are of great significance for Isoptera phylogeny and termite control. Finally, pheromones to be used in termite control are prospected.

Key words:  Termite, exocrine gland, pheromone, trail pheromone, sex pheromone, termite, pheromones, pheromone analogues, research progress