INCIPIENT COLONY DEVELOPMENT IN THE SUBTERRANEAN TERMITE RETICULITERMES FLAVIPES (ISOPTERA, RHINOTERMITIDAE)

Patterns of investment and growth are examined through the complete ce nsus of 55 two-year old colonies of the subterranean termite Reticulit ermes flavipes (Kollar) (Isoptera; Rhinotermitidae). The colonies were initiated from alates in the laboratory, and each contained a live pr imary king and queen at the time of census. After two years, total col ony size (sum of all workers, soldiers, immatures, and the reproductiv es, but excluding the eggs) ranged from 51 to 984 individuals, with a mean of 387+/-226 (standard deviation). The number of workers ranged f rom 30 to 783, with a mean of 322+/-780 per colony. The number of sold iers plus presoldiers ranged from 1 to 19, with a mean of 6.8+/-4.5, a nd the percentage of soldiers per colony ranged from 0.23 to 7.91, wit h a mean of 2.1 percent. Live weights of both workers and soldiers in the two-year old colonies were approximately 53% of the live weights o f R. flavipes collected from mature field colonies. Incipient colony i nvestment in individuals and castes is discussed in terms of subterran ean termite foraging ecology and colony dynamics.