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Data from: Caste-associated social context modulates behavioral interactions with insecticide-exposed individuals in Nasutitermes corniger (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae)

Watanabe, Sara1; de Lira Filho, Lazaro1; Lira, Derick1; Pereira, Guilherme1; Mendonça, Thiago1; Cristaldo, Paulo Fellipe1

Published Sep 15, 2026 on Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6q573n6cm

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Abstract

Termites are eusocial insects that maintain cohesion and exchange information through frequent physical interactions among nestmates. This social organization underlies the principle of horizontal insecticide transfer, which is widely exploited as a termite strategy. However, despite extensive laboratory evidence supporting its effectiveness, the specific behaviors mediating interactions between intoxicated and healthy individuals remain poorly understood. Here, we evaluate the effect of the caste identity of a single imidacloprid-intoxicated individual on group behaviors and mortality in Nasutitermes corniger (Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae). We test the hypothesis that (i) groups interacting with an intoxicated individual exhibit increased prophylactic behaviors, particularly when the intoxicated individual is a soldier, and that (ii) group mortality is reduced in the presence of an intoxicated nestmate. Our results show that groups containing an intoxicated soldier exhibited higher frequencies of trophallaxis and grooming, whereas groups containing an intoxicated worker reduced prophylactic behaviors. In contrast, no significant differences in mean time to death were observed between groups with or without an intoxicated individual. Overall, our findings highlight the functional importance of the soldier caste in shaping colony-level behavioral responses and demonstrate how termite groups reallocate behavioral investment when confronted with intoxicated nestmates, even in the absence of detectable mortality effects.