Studies on Reticulitermes lucifugus Rossi (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae): a review of associated hindgut flagellates and investigations on protist species of the Sicilian subspecies, R. lucifugus “Sicily”

Abstract

The present study was conducted on protist species from R. lucifugus “Sicily” subspecies in a field site of Palermo (Sicily, Italy) on June 2015. Since protist species associated with R. lucifugus in Europe are still confused and recent revisions are lacking, this work aims at achieving greater clarity on these symbiosis trough a review of the literature in light of new phylogenetic studies on this termite species. The purpose of this work was also to highlight and quantify protists associated with the Sicilian subspecies, R. l. “Sicily”. Results pointed out the real protist community attributable to R. lucifugus from the literature and showed 13 protist species detected in the subspecies R. l. “Sicily”. These species were consistent with previous reports except for Spironympha sp., mentioned for the first time from this termite. Total protist population estimates was 26,814.71 ± 1,121.92 protists per termite. Dinenympha exilis and D. gracilis were found in greater abundance with relative species abundance of 17%. Monocercomonas termitis, Microjoenia hexamitoides, Trichonympha minor and Pyrsonympha flagellata could be used to distinguish R. lucifugus because these protists are not found in other Reticulitermes species.