Chemical analyses of termite royal food. Reticulitermes speratus

The society of eusocial insects is based on the reproductive division of labor, with a small number of reproductive individuals supported by a large number of non-reproductive individuals. Since inclusive fitness of colony members depends on the survival and fertility of reproductives, non-reproductive members should provide royals with special treatments. Here we show that termite kings and queens each receive special food with different composition from workers via trophallaxis. LC-MS/MS analyses of the stomodeal food and midgut contents revealed king- and queen-specific compounds including lipids, short-chain peptides, and proteins. DESI-MSI analyses of termite feeding 13C-labeled cellulose demonstrated that some royal food components are derived from cellulose metabolites by workers. Our demonstration of king- and queen-food in termites opened new avenues to understand the nutritional system that underpins extraordinary reproduction and longevity of royals in eusocial insects.