Abstract:

The analysis of the termite cuticular hydrocarbon of twelve samples of termites
showed that there was discrepancy in the cuticular hydrocarbons components and quantity for different species. The dendrogram based on the value of the smallest distance coefficient gained by UPGMA cluster analysis indicated that:  the relative relationship of Reticulitermes flaviceps, R. dichrous and R. sp.1, belonging to Frontotermes, is rather close; the relative relationship of R.labralis, R.microcephalus, R. sp.2 and R. sp.3, belonging to Planifrontotermes, is also rather close; the relative relationship of Heterotermes hainanensis, H. citrinus, H. leptomandibularis, H. aculabialis and H. sp.4, belonging to Heterotermes, is rather close as well. Among the three groups of termites, the relative relationship between Frontotermes and Planifrontotermes is closer; however, the relative relationship between these two and Heterotermes is rather distant. According to our experiments, there is Heterotermes in China. The main difference between Heterotermes and Reticulitermes is that Heterotermes lacks such hydrocarbons as heptadecane, eicosane, heneicosane, docosane, tricosane, tetracosane, hexacosane and so on, but has the isoquinoline. Besides, when classified according to the morphology, R. sp.1 was identified as R. dichrous, R. sp.2 as R. microcephalus, R. sp.3 as R. labralis and H. sp.4 as H. aculabialis. The experiment shows that there is difference in the classification based on cuticular hydrocarbons and that based on morphology for R. sp.1, R. sp.2, R. sp.3 and H. sp.4. R.sp.1, R. sp.3 and H. sp.4 should be identified as other species according to the results of analysis of cuticular hydrocarbons and R. sp.2 belongs to subspecies of R. labralis or other species.

Key words: Termite, cuticular hydrocarbons, GC-MS analysis, classification