Additional data, supporting the publication: "Vibrational signatures and mimicry in ant-termite and termite-termite interactions"

The dataset supports the publication “Vibrational signatures and mimicry in ant-termite and termite-termite interactions.” It includes selected samples of raw vibration recordings from termite and ant footsteps, normalized for scale invariance. The noise level (defined by 3σ bounds) can be used as a scaling factor. The paper fully describes the recording procedure for both vibration and video, enabling replication of the study. One accompanying video is provided to facilitate result replication using F. Wauthier’s video tracking software (Matlab Code for Motion Tracking in Video Sequences [Computer program], 18, 2011), which must be requested from the software author. Alternatively, other video tracking tools such as TRex may be used. All other methods are comprehensively documented in the full paper (DOI provided below). The analysis employs Recurrence Plots (Marwan), with the latest toolbox available from the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research: https://tocsy.pik-potsdam.de/CRPtoolbox/. Additionally, Highly Comparative Time Series Analysis (HCTSA) was applied: https://github.com/benfulcher/hctsa. Abstract to full paper: Eusocial insects fascinate researchers with their sophisticated communication systems and sensory specialisations. Two groups, ants and termites have coexisted in a long-standing predator-prey arms race, offering insight into the interplay between ecology and evolution. The termite Coptotermes acinaciformis can detect the predatory ant Iridomyrmex purpureus through footstep-induced vibrations, triggering defensive responses. Ants produce noisier walking signatures than termites, while the inquiline termite Macrognathotermes sunteri walks more quietly than its host Co. acinaciformis, suggesting species-specific, ecological vibroacoustic strategies. Using statistical analysis of video-tracked motion and footstep vibrations in confined arenas across six ant and ten termite species, we show that Co. acinaciformis, despite its body size, moves more smoothly than ants, which alternate between directed and erratic paths. Inquiline termites, by contrast, displayed erratic movements. Ants consistently produced stronger vibrations closely linked to body mass. Highly Comparative Time Series Analysis revealed that while Co. acinaciformis and I. purpureus produced distinct vibrational signatures, Mac. sunteri’s signals overlapped with its host, consistent with vibroacoustic mimicry. Although the ecological nature of this association remains unresolved, our findings underscore the central role of vibrational cues in shaping interspecific dynamics and highlight vibroacoustic communication as an underappreciated driver of social insect ecology and evolution.