Liquens associados à alimentação de Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Silvestre, 1901) (Isoptera, Termitidae) no semiárido brasileiro

Abstract

The study investigated the intake of lichens by Constrictotermes cyphergaster identifying the lichen richness and explored the acids produced by lichens eaten by observing the occurrence of seasonal differences in feeding ecology of these insects in semiarid Paraiba. The activities of foraging termites were monitored from five nests in the range from 18 to 06 h, for ten consecutive days in a period of drought and rain. Workers scraping lichens were collected for analysis of food contents. The exploited lichens were collected, and the substrate together with the crop were subjected to analysis of thin layer chromatography (TLC). We identified 29 species of lichens associated with the feeding of termites. The analyzes revealed eight CCD liquênicos secondary compounds. The acids atranorina, usnic, divaricático, norstíctico, parietina, estictico, tamnolico and didimico were recorded in the crop content of food of termites and liquênicas structures such as spores, hyphae and algal cells . Was no seasonal difference in the production of acids for some species. In addition to the power consumption of lichens nutritionally promote termites as a source energetic supplement to your diet, the liquenicos acids, possessing antimicrobial activity , may act on the symbiotic community in the gut of termites , acting as population controllers, and can also act as facilitators in the breakdown of lignocellulose diet of termites .