VARIATION BETWEEN AND WITHIN COLONIES IN THE TERMITE - MORPHOLOGY, GENOMIC DNA, AND BEHAVIOR

We investigate the structure between and within colonies of Schedorhin otermes lamanianus (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) at a cluster of foragin g galleries in Shimba Hills National Reserve, Kenya. Three independent methods (morphometrics of minor soldiers, multilocus fingerprinting f rom genomic DNA of workers, and aggression tests between workers) yiel ded concordant results concerning number and spatial extent of colonie s as well as variation between and within colonies. At least three col onies exist in our study area. Genetic data reveal that the largest co lony is genetically and spatially substructured in three subsidiary ne sts, which may form reproductive units. These subsidiary nests were no t completely isolated as we were able to document exchange of workers. Subsidiary nests may facilitate foundation of colonies by budding whi ch may generate isolation by distance (population viscosity).