Food quantity and the intensity of the alarm signal combine to modulate the resource selection in a termite species

Maximizing food intake while minimizing risk is an important trade-off in
the foraging behavior of most animals. In general, foragers are vulnerable
and the ability to trade off benefits (food quantity) against costs (risk
of being killed) may provide a considerable ecological advantage. Despite
the increasing number of studies, the effects of food quantity and
mortality risk signals on resource selection in eusocial insect is not
well understood. Here, we investigated the combination of distinct levels
of food quantity and the intensity of alarm signal on resource selection
of a Neotropical termite, Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky) (Termitidae:
Nasutitermitinae). Manipulative bioassays with binary and multiple choices
were conducted over time to check the recruitment of termite groups among
resources containing different levels of food quantity and alarm signals.
Overall, our results showed that regardless of food quantity, termites
avoid a food source if there is even a small amount of alarm signal. This
work contributes to a better understanding of habitat use by termite
species. Furthermore, it shows for the first time the combined effects of
food quantity and alarm signals on the resource selection of an important
ecological and economic termite species.