Cryptotermes domesticus transcriptome and gene expression

Drywood termite Cryptotermes domesticus (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae) is a related lower termite species, and the termite foragers are called a “Pseudergate” without true worker caste. It is capable of living in a piece of dry wood without free water, and is a serious pest causing substantial damage to dry timber or structural lumber. Based on the Illumina sequencing platform, the termite transcriptome of C. domesticus was sequenced and assembled using as a genetic reference. To understand the gene expression of larvae in response to different wood species, termites from Casuarina equisetifolia, Koompassia excels, and Myristica sp. wood samples were prepared and variations in gene expression were then examined.