Silvestritermes minutus 最小西尔韦斯特里白蚁
- Type locality
- Guyana: Cuyuni-Mazaruni: Kartabo [6.38N 58.7W]
- Distribution
- Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, Peru
List： English (genus page) · 中文 · Español
Summary
Silvestritermes minutus is a species of the genus Silvestritermes, in the family TERMITIDAE (subfamily Syntermitinae). The species was described by Emerson in 1925; the type locality is Guyana: Cuyuni-Mazaruni: Kartabo [6.38N 58.7W]. Distribution: Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, Peru.
Etymology
Genus name Silvestritermes: Named after the entomologist F. Silvestri; -termes from Latin termes.
Specific epithet minutus: Latin minutus (tiny)
Taxonomic position
- Family: TERMITIDAE — 280 genera, 2144 species
- Subfamily: Syntermitinae — 22 genera, 105 species
- Genus: Silvestritermes — 7 species
- Type species of the genus: Silvestritermes euamignathus
Distribution
- Distribution records: Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, Peru
The record above follows the wording of the original data; no geocoding or standardized place names have been applied.
Morphology
A species-level description from the original literature has not yet been compiled for this page. Original description: Emerson, 1925. See the genus page for the genus-level description; this page will be updated after the original text is checked.
Distribution map
Aggregated from GBIF occurrence records on a 1° grid; only extant taxa of this checklist are used, so fossil records are excluded. Dot size and shade show the number of records inside a cell.
Related papers
Cached papers for this genus (matched automatically, for reference); to search this species with its junior synonyms merged in, use the literature search.
- Asexual queen succession mediates an accelerated colony life cycle in the termite Silvestritermes minutus
Abstract
Mixed modes of reproduction, combining sexual processes with thelytokous parthenogenesis, occur in all major clades of social insects. In several species of termites, queens maximize their genetic input into nondispersing replacement queens through parthenogenesis, while maintaining genetically diverse sterile offspring and dispersing reproductives via sexual reproduction. This so-called asexual queen succession (AQS) has multiple independent origins and its presumed advantages are diverse as well, ranging from multiplication of colony reproductive potential to extension of its lifespan beyond that of the foundress. However, how AQS shapes colony life cycles under natural conditions remains poorly known. The neotropical termite Silvestritermes minutus inhabits small but conspicuous nests, offering a unique opportunity to investigate the impact of AQS on life history. We report on its breeding system, life cycle and sex allocation using social structure census in 137 nests and genotyping of 12 colonies at 12 microsatellite loci. We show that colonies are established by an outbred pair of primary reproductives. In less than 2 years, the foundress is replaced by multiple neotenic queens, arising mostly through automixis with central fusion. Sterile castes, male and most (93%) female dispersers are produced sexually. Colony reproduction is usually restricted to a single dispersal of alates with unbiased sex ratio, taking place after 3 years. We conclude that S. minutus benefits from AQS to maximize colony growth rate and alate production within a very short life cycle rather than to extend colony lifespan. This highlights the versatile role of AQS in different cases of its polyphyletic origin.
- Unrelated secondary reproductives in the neotropical termite Silvestritermes euamignathus (Isoptera: Termitidae)
Abstract
- Caste differentiation pathways in the Neotropical termite Silvestritermes euamignathus (Isoptera: Termitidae)
Abstract
Termites are hemimetabolous insects that commonly exhibit a bifurcation in post‐embryonic development, with the presence of two lines: (i) the nymphal–imaginal line; and (ii) the apterous line. The former comprises the reproductive imagoes of the colonies and their preceding immature stages, whereas the latter is composed of workers, soldiers and their precursors. In this study, we analyzed the developmental pathways of caste differentiation in the Neotropical termite Silvestritermes euamignathus and compared it to the known sibling species, Silvestritermes holmgreni. Our results show that the apterous line is composed of male and female workers without sexual dimorphism and that soldiers are exclusively females. The imaginal line comprises five instars of nymphs, which may develop into either nymphoid neotenics or alates. Similarities found in our study between caste patterns of S. euamignathus and of S. holmgreni suggest a shared evolutionary history in these termite species. Some biological differences between the species are also discussed.
Papers on this species, synonyms included → OpenAlex Google Scholar CNKI
Abstracts come from open metadata; copyright remains with the original authors/publishers. For reference only — please check the original.
Literature notes
Edited notes based on the original literature, not transcriptions. The source markers in each paragraph point to archived records in .sources; full citations are listed below.
Asexual queen succession and colony life history
According to the abstract, Fougeyrollas et al. (2017) surveyed social structure in 137 nests of Silvestritermes minutus and genotyped 12 colonies at 12 microsatellite loci; they found that colonies are founded by a pair of outbred primary reproductives, that the founding queens are replaced within 2 years by several new neotenic queens produced mainly through central-fusion automixis, that sterile castes and 93% of female dispersers are sexually produced, and that colonies usually release alates in a single burst after the 3rd year. The authors considered that this species uses asexual queen succession to accelerate colony growth and alate production rather than to extend colony lifespan.
A queen-specific volatile macrolide
According to the abstract of Machara et al. (2018), a previously unknown volatile was detected on the queen's body surface, in the headspace, in the ovaries and in the body cavity of Silvestritermes minutus; its structure was determined as the 14-membered macrolide (5Z,9S)-tetradec-5-en-9-olide (10-pentyl-3,4,5,8,9,10-hexahydro-2H-oxecin-2-one), and both enantiomers were prepared by enantiodivergent synthesis starting from (S)-glycidyl tosylate.
References
- Fougeyrollas, R. et al. 2017. Asexual queen succession mediates an accelerated colony life cycle in the termite Silvestritermes minutus. Molecular Ecology.
- Machara, A.; Křivánek, J.; Dolejšová, K.; Havlíčková, J.; Bednářová, L.; Hanus, R.; Majer, P.; Kyjaková, P. 2018. Identification and Enantiodivergent Synthesis of (5Z,9S)-Tetradec-5-en-9-olide, a Queen-Specific Volatile of the Termite Silvestritermes minutus. Journal of Natural Products 81(10).
Other species in Silvestritermes (6 species)
Cite this species
Citation strings are generated from the fields of this page; please keep the DOI and the version number when citing.
GB/T 7714
班奈特格林. Extant Isoptera (termites): a checklist of Latin and Chinese names: Silvestritermes minutus 最小西尔韦斯特里白蚁[EB/OL]. Version 2026.10.30. https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/silvestritermes-minutus/. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836.
BibTeX
@misc{isoptera_silvestritermes_minutus_2026,
author = {班奈特格林},
title = {Silvestritermes minutus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites)},
year = {2026},
version = {2026.10.30},
howpublished = {https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/silvestritermes-minutus/},
note = {TERMITIDAE; version 2026.10.30; DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23646836},
doi = {10.5281/zenodo.23646836}
}
RIS
TY - ELEC TI - Silvestritermes minutus: a checklist of extant Isoptera (termites) AU - 班奈特格林 PY - 2026 UR - https://termite-extant-isoptera.org/en/species/silvestritermes-minutus/ DO - 10.5281/zenodo.23646836 ER -