Development of Nests and Composition of Colonies of Nasutitermes nigriceps (Isoptera: Termitidae) in the Mangroves of Jamaica

Abstract

Colonies of Nasutitermes nigriceps (Haldeman) inhabiting the island of Jamaica were extracted from their arboreal carton nests by a two-stage method in which the termites were dislodged from their galleries and separated from nest debris by flotation in water. Recovery of termites by this process was 97.7%. No incipient nests were observed and all small nests collected consisted of both a wooden region, which housed the reproductives and an external carton nest. Except for the soldier caste, the proportion of sterile castes was similar in both regions of the nest. The size of small nests increased with little changes in the total colony size. However, the number of termites in the external carton nest increased with size of colony. Approximately 50% of the large nests contained reproductives. These colonies were consistently monogynous and monandrous. Caste composition of N. nigriceps colonies was comparable at each sample site and in nests of both reproductive status. However, large nests had a smaller proportion of immature termites, but similar proportion of soldiers. The average percentage of workers in small nests was proportional to that of large nests with reproductives, but less than large nests without reproductives.