Thus, if no other factors come into play, colony members should show high levels of genetic similarity. However, studies have shown that termite colonies exhibit more genetic diversity than previously expected. I use the Caribbean termite, Nasutitermes acajutlae as my research animal. This species lives in large, arboreal nests and builds covered trails to foraging sites. Sterile female N. acajutlae become workers, building nests, trails, feeding larvae and other castes.
Sterile males become soldiers, with a nosile-shaped proboscus that shoots a sticky defense compound.
Reproductives are produced and released once a year after the first heavy rain of the fall. Nasutitermes acajutlae has a parasite that I find particularly interesting. The parasite mainly infects workers, turning infected animals from brown to white. I am interested in the fitness consequenses of parasitism for both the individual infected termite and its colony as a whole. The effect of genetic variation on the Caribbean termite, Nasutitermes acajutlae Genetic similarity promotes highly complex societies in which some members aid their relatives at the expense of their own reproduction.