Développement - Communication Chimique, UMR CNRS 5548, Université de Bourgogne, 6, Bd Gabriel, 21000 Dijon, France.
Termites are known to be able to recognize nestmates. Cuticular hydrocarbons have been considered but the exact nature of the chemical signature of termites is still not completely understood. P. spiniger and P. militaris, two higher termite species, are widespread in Africa and live in sympatry in the SOSUCAM sugar cane plantation of Mbandjock (Cameroon) where numerous foraging populations of both species can be observed at very close distances. In our study, the inter- and intraspecific agonistic behavior of 10 colonies (from 3 different types of environment: sugar cane parcels, gardens and Cassia spectabilis lines) of each species have been assessed and compared with cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. Results showed that interspecific agonism is always very strong and that intraspecific agonism was higher in P. spiniger than in P.militaris. In P. spiniger, colonies living in a similar environment displayed a lower agonism compared to colonies coming from different types of environment, but this could not be demonstrated in P. militaris. A correlation was established between the spatial distance separating colonies and their agonism in P. militaris, the neighbour colonies being more agressive. Differences appeared between the cuticular hydrocarbon patterns, but these could not be correlated with the agonistic behavior exhibited by the workers.