Corpse Management Strategies in Social Insects Asokan Anusree1, Ramesha Barikkad2,*, Seena S M1, Anooj S S1, Sreekumar K M1 1Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, Padannakkad, Kerala Agricultural University, Kasaragod671314, Kerala, India 2Extension Training Centre, Manjeshwar, Kerala Agricultural University, Kasaragod671323, Kerala, India *Email: ramesha.b@kau.in (corresponding author): ORCID ID 0009-0003-1695-4933
Online Published on 31 August, 2024. Abstract Social insects are arthropods that lives in a community with other members of the same species. Eusocial insects frequently lose colony members as a result of living in big groupings. They perform cooperative corpse management to maintain the hygiene of the nest, exhibiting behavioural and physiological responses that promote disease resistance, nutrient reallocating and colony protection. Undertaking behaviour is most common in social insects belonging to Hymenoptera and Isoptera which adopts various mechanisms of death recognition, convergent and divergent behavioural responses towards dead items. Corpse removal, burial, cannibalism and avoidance are different solutions evolved by social insects, independently towards the problem of corpse management. Genetic studies and gene expression analysis related to social immune systems gives a better knowledge on behavioural and physiological disease defense in insects which could be considered a novel access to biological pest control. This article provides a comprehensive understanding of corpse management in social insects. Top Keywords Social insects, Hymenoptera, Isoptera, Necrophoresis, Necrophagy, Burial behaviour, Hygienic behaviour, Death cues, CHCs, Eusociality, Division of labour. Top |