Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1990 Genetic Comparisons and Systematic Studies of Termites (Isoptera). Amy Kathryn Korman Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Korman, Amy Kathryn, "Genetic Comparisons and Systematic Studies of Termites (Isoptera)." (1990). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 5069. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/5069 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. 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Ann Arbor, MI 48106 GENETIC COMPARISONS AND SYSTEMATIC STUDIES OF TERMITES (ISOPTERA) A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Entomology by Amy Kathryn Korman B.S., Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA, 1978 M.S., North Dakota State University, Fargo, 1984 December 1990 Acknowledgment In the course of this dissertation program, I have been exposed to a number of challenges which have undoubtedly given me a far greater perspective than what I had hoped to achieve when I arrived at Louisiana State University. D. J. Boethel, J. B. Chapin, E. A. Heinrichs, and J. P. Woodring served on my advisory committee. The patience and understanding of this committee has been crucial to the completion of this research and I gratefully acknowledge their interest in my program. I am especially thankful to my major advisor, D. P. Pashley, for her help and instruction. This research project was instigated by my former advisor, the late J. P. La Fage, and his influence has had an enormous impact on my entomological studies. Sample collections were accomplished with the kind help of M. I. Haverty, P. M. Haverty, L. J. Nelson, W. L. Nutting, M. Page, R. H. Scheffrahn, N. -Y. Su, B. L. Thome, M. Tamashiro and staff, and D. A. Waller. The faculty, staff, and students at LSU provided valuable contributions to graduate student life. C. A. Cook, J. A. Martin, J. C. Wheatley (and family), and H. K. Wilson were my LSU family. E. E. Emy was an excellent helper in the lab. The bleaker moments of being a graduate student were offset by the enthusiasm and encouragement of the Red Magic soccer team and the Baton Rouge Recorders Society. My family has always provided an extraordinary amount of encouragement. Special thanks must go to my parents, brother and sister, and their families. Their interest strengthened my motivation, and I am grateful for their support. This research was partially funded by the Louisiana Pest Control Association and a scholarship from Pi Chi Omega. Table of Contents Acknowledgment ......................................................................................... n List of Tables.......................................................................................... vi List of Figures........................................................................................ viii A bstract......................................................................................................... x Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 References cited ....................................................... 6 Chapter I. Electrophoretic techniques and comparisons of genetic variability among termites (Isoptera)....................... 10 A bstract......................................................................................... 11 Introduction ................................................................................. 12 Materials and Methods ........................................................... 13 R esults ............................................................................................ 17 D iscussion ..................................................................................... 22 References cited ............................................................................. 26 Chapter II. Allozymic relationships among cuticular hydrocarbon phenotypes of Zootermopsis spp. (Isoptera: Termopsidae).. 48 A bstract............................................................................................. 49 Introduction .................................................................................. 50 Materials and Methods ............................................................... 52 R esults ............................................................................................... 54 D iscussion ........................................................................................ 56 i v Table o f Contents (cont.) Page Acknowledgments .............................. ....................................... 61 References cited ......................................................................... 62 Chapter III. Genetic relationships among four U.S. populations of the Formosan subterranean termite (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) ........................................................................... 79 A bstract............... ............................................................................ 80 Introduction .................................................................................... 81 Materials and Methods .............................................................. 84 R esu lts ............................................................................................. 86 Discussion ............ ...................................................................... 88 Acknowledgment ...................................................................... 95 References cited ....................................................................... 96 Appendices A. Collection information for termite colonies used in electrophoretic studies of Isoptera ..... 108 B. Permission to include a copyrighted manuscript in this dissertation .......................................................................... 121 V ita............................................................................................................... 122 v List of Tables Table Bagfi Chapter I. 1. Recipes for starch gel/electrode buffers used to resolve enzyme systems in Isoptera ......................................................... 32 2. Recipes for enzyme systems used to survey allozymic variation in term ites........................................................................................... 33 3. Summary of enzyme/buffer combinations used to resolve enzyme loci in termites ............................................................................... 34 4. Presence (+) or absence (-) of enzyme activity in enzyme systems examined in termites. Blank spaces indicate that the system was not attempted ...................................... .................................. 39 5. Allele frequencies among termite species ........................... 41 6. Measures of genetic variability among Isoptera ........................ 44 7. Matrix of Rogers' modified distance coefficients calculated for species of Kalotermitidae (I. minor and K- iouteli) and Rhinotermitidae (Q. formosanus. P. simplex, and Reticulitermes spp .................................................................... 45 Chapter II. 1. Measures of genetic variation in Zootermopsis species ............... 68 Appendix a. Allele frequencies for polymorphic loci in Zootermopsis populations ........................ ........................................