ABSTRACT
The study of nestmate recognition requires a multidisciplinary approach. Genetic studies are needed to define the genetic structure of the society. Ethological studies are needed to document the response of each caste of the society to individuals from other colonies or genetically different parts of the population during each season. Chemical studies are needed to identify signals and to determine the glands that secret them. Chemical studies showed that, like other social insects, termites have exocrine glands that release the chemical mediators involved in inter- and intraspecific recognition. Termite glands are classically divided into 2 categories: digestive tract glands and tegumentary glands. Termite colonies can present many genetic structures. In open colonies, the genetic distance between individuals is low without inbreeding, but the colonial chemical signatures are similar. In closed colonies, nestmate recognition is due to chemical signals constituting a genuine chemical signature.
