Breaking the social code: temporary suppression of pheromonal information use during dispersal in termites

Accurate interpretation of signals from conspecifics is crucial for survival and reproduction in many animals. The meaning and behavioural consequences of a given signal often depend on the receiver's internal state and its social or ecological context. In social insects, pheromonal communication enables efficient information sharing and coordinated group behaviour, underpinning the evolution of complex societies. However, for individuals departing from their natal society to establish new societies, such social signals may become irrelevant or even hazardous if followed, as they may indicate the presence of competing colonies. We found that alates of the termite Reticulitermes speratus showed reduced responsiveness to trail pheromones deposited by workers from the dispersal phase until colony foundation. Trail-following activity was high in pre-alates and newly emerged alates but gradually declined with posteclosion age, reaching its lowest level around the typical time of dispersal (swarming). This decline was independent of dispersal experience and probably reflects time-dependent physiological changes. Trail-following responsiveness was subsequently reactivated after colony foundation in the presence of a mating partner but not by ageing alone. Moreover, reproductives that intruded into groups of workers from established nests suffered rapid mortality, highlighting the adaptive value of trail avoidance during dispersal. These findings demonstrate a biphasic, reversible modulation of pheromone responsiveness that probably facilitates context-appropriate behaviour across life stages. Our study highlights flexible signal processing as a potential mechanism underlying context-appropriate behaviour in organisms undergoing shifts in social context.