Abstract: In recent years, the use of solid phase microextraction has promoted significant advances in the field of trail pheromones of termites. Up to now, trail pheromones of termites are known in 77 species, and the common components include dodecaenol, dodecadienol, dodecatrienol as well as neocembrene. The trail pheromones in termites mainly consist of single or two components. In termites, trail pheromones emanate from the sternal gland. Mastotermes darwiniensis belonging to Mastotermitidae is the only extant termite to possess three sternal glands. Other termites possess one sternal gland located on the 4th or 5th sternite. All sternal glands possess class Ⅰ and Ⅱ cells. Class Ⅲ cells are present only in the Termopsinae, Serritermitidae and Rhinotermitidae. No studies have been done on the biosynthesis of termite trail pheromones. Three biosynthesis pathways were hypothesized: the mevalonate pathway, the aliphatic alcohol pathway and the saturated cuticular hydrocarbon pathway. The parsimony of trail pheromones is well developed in termites. The same or closely related trail pheromones are present in species from different geographic origins, different ecological life types, and unrelated taxa. In many species, the same semiochemical possesses the double function of trail pheromone and sex-pairing pheromone. The adaptability and evolutionary mechanism of both the species specialty and the parsimony of the trail pheromones need to be further explored.

Key words: Termites, trail pheromones, chemical structure, sternal gland, biosynthesis, parsimony