DOI: 10.5061/dryad.cvdncjtj0
title: Data from: Balancing risk and opportunity: Nasute termite responses to predator and competitor chemical cues

description:  Animals frequently rely on indirect information to make foraging
 decisions under uncertainty. In social insects, chemical cues from other
 species may convey information about both predation risk and resource
 availability, yet how these cues are integrated during resource selection
 remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate how the termite
 Nasutitermes corniger responds to chemical cues from predators
 and competitors during resource selection. Using controlled
 laboratory bioassays, we tested termite preferences for food resources
 associated with cues from a predatory ant (Pheidole sp.) and a competing
 termite species. Predator cues consistently reduced resource
 selection, indicating avoidance driven by perceived predation risk. In
 contrast, resources associated with competitor cues were preferentially
 selected, suggesting that these cues function as informative signals
 rather than purely competitive deterrents. Our results
 demonstrate that termites discriminate between heterospecific chemical
 cues and integrate them to balance risk and opportunity during foraging.
 These findings highlight the role of chemical information in shaping
 resource selection decisions and contribute to a broader understanding of
 how social insects use indirect cues to navigate complex ecological
 trade-offs.
description: This README file was generated on 2026-01-27 by Paulo Cristaldo. **GENERAL
 INFORMATION:** 1. This folder contains the data for the article: SILVA,
 A.N.F., LIRA FILHO, L.Q., SILVA, L.S.A., de MENODNA, T.H.C., WATANABE,
 S.Y.M., ARAJO, A.P.A., and P.F. Cristaldo (2026). Balancing risk and
 opportunity: nasute termite responses to predator and competitor chemical
 cues. Ecological Entomology 2. Comments and requests should be addressed
 to Paulo Cristaldo:
 [paulo.cristaldo@ufrpe.br](mailto:paulo.cristaldo@ufrpe.br). Data is free
 for use, but I would appreciate being told, and this dataset and the
 matching paper cited if appropriate. 3. Date of data collection (single
 date, range, approximate date): 2024-2025 4. Geographic location of data
 collection: Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil 5. Information about funding
 sources that supported the collection of the data: CNPq, CAPES, and FACEPE
 **DATA FILE OVERVIEW:** 1. The Experiments folder contains the data used
 in the article. The data are separated by bioassays. 2. File list: a)
 binaryChoice_bioassays.txt b) multipleChoice_bioassays.txt c)
 multipleChoiceEmpty_bioassays.txt 3. Relationship between files, if
 important: None 4. Additional related data collected that was not included
 in the current data package: None 5. Are there multiple versions of the
 dataset? No A. If yes, name of file(s) that was updated: NA i. Why was the
 file updated? NA ii. When was the file updated? NA
 \#########################################################################
 **DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: binaryChoice_bioassays.txt** 1. Number of
 variables: 10 2. Number of cases/rows: 541 3. Variable List: * colonyID:
 label of colony used in the bioassay; * repetition: repetition conducted
 for each colony; * setUp: set-up conducted (crtlxcomp: control x
 competitor cues; ctrlxpred: control x predator cues; compxpred: competitor
 cues x predator cues) control; comp: competitor cues; pred: preddator
 cues); * treat: treatment (crtl: control; comp: competitor cues; pred:
 predator cues) of the biossay. That is, treatment in each side of
 experimental arena; * time: time point of evaluation * termites: frequency
 of termite individuals in each treatment; * workers: frequency of workers
 in each treatment; * soldiers: frequency of soldiers in each treatment; *
 total: total number of termites that responding the treatments; *
 totalArena: total number of termites in the bioassays; 4. Missing data
 codes: None 5. Specialized formats or other abbreviations used: None
 \#########################################################################
 **DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: multipleChoice_bioassays.txt** 1. Number
 of variables: 9 2. Number of cases/rows: 271 3. Variable List: * colonyID:
 label of colony used in the bioassay; * repetition: repetition conducted
 for each colony; * treat: treatment (crtl: control; comp: competitor cues;
 pred: predator cues) of the biossay. That is, treatment in each side of
 experimental arena; * time: time point of evaluation * termites: frequency
 of termite individuals in each treatment; * workers: frequency of workers
 in each treatment; * soldiers: frequency of soldiers in each treatment; *
 total: total number of termites that responding the treatments; *
 totalArena: total number of termites in the bioassays; 4. Missing data
 codes: None 5. Specialized formats or other abbreviations used: None
 \#########################################################################
 **DATA-SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR: multipleChoiceEmpty_bioassays.txt** 1.
 Number of variables: 9 2. Number of cases/rows: 361 3. Variable List: *
 colonyID: label of colony used in the bioassay; * repetition: repetition
 conducted for each colony; * treat: treatment (crtl: control; comp:
 competitor cues; pred: predator cues) of the biossay. That is, treatment
 in each side of experimental arena; * time: time point of evaluation *
 termites: frequency of termite individuals in each treatment; * workers:
 frequency of workers in each treatment; * soldiers: frequency of soldiers
 in each treatment; * total: total number of termites that responding the
 treatments; * totalArena: total number of termites in the bioassays; 4.
 Missing data codes: None 5. Specialized formats or other abbreviations
 used: None
 \#########################################################################