Postecdysis behavioral patterns in Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann)

A freshly molted termite’s cuticle undergoes sclerotization over the course of approximately 32-36 hours. During that post-molt period, the termite’s mandibles slowly increase in rigidity. Therefore, we hypothesized that termite activity would also increase during the days following molting to reflect the increasing efficacy of their mandibles. To test this hypothesis, this study observed the behaviors of individual Coptotermes gestroi (Wasmann) in the days following molting. Freshly molted individuals were marked with oil paint and placed in a planar arena (12cm x 12cm) with both reproductives, 100 workers, and 10 soldiers. Each arena was observed for 15 minutes each day for the observation period. We observed that the molted individuals did not show a steady increase in activity levels over the period of sclerotization as hypothesized. Instead, the molted individuals showed a higher average time spent in motion on day one than on days 2-5, with the highest average time in motion recorded on day six. This trend may be due to the fact that termites only regain their gut symbionts after at least four days following ecdysis preventing the molted individuals from partaking in wood-feeding behavior prior to that point. Observation continues to uncover any changes in behavioral patterns for the rest of the intermolt period.