COMPOSITION OF CUTICULAR HYDROCARBONS IN THE AUSTRALIAN HARVESTER TERMITE DREPANOTERMES PERNIGER (ISOPTERA, TERMITIDAE) - VARIATION AMONG INDIVIDUALS, CASTES, COLONIES AND LOCATIONS

The cuticular hydrocarbon profiles of Drepanotermes perniger (Froggatt ) are reported from 5 widely separated locations covering most of its geographic range; all major components are common and these show only fairly minor quantitative variation. This is however sufficient to ena ble discriminant analysis to separate the populations but overall the picture is one of uniformity, Within one location inter-colony variati on is no greater than that amongst individuals of one colony; it there fore seems unlikely that hydrocarbons alone are responsible for colony recognition, There are minor quantitative differences between castes and these may play a role in caste recognition.