Cuticular hydrocarbons of Reticulitermes (Isoptera : Rhinotermitidae) in Japan and neighboring countries as chemotaxonomic characters

The cuticular hydrocarbons of Reticulitermes from Japan and neighboring cou ntries were identified and quantitated. Three distinct phenotypes were reve aled by gas chromatography of hydrocarbons among five subspecies of R. sper atus: (1) three subspecies from the Japanese mainland, (2) R. s. okinawanus , and (3) R. s. yaeyamanus. Hydrocarbon components of R. flaviceps flavicep s differed from those of ii. f. amamianus. ii. miyotakei, R. sp. 1, R. sp. 2, and R. sp. 3 have components specific to each species. The overall resul ts revealed that there are nine cuticular hydrocarbon phenotypes in the gen us Reticulitermes occurring in Japan and neighboring countries. It also app ears that some morphological characters usually used in taxonomy are of lit tle taxonomic value.