What contributed to the success of termites? Their genomes provide the answer
The most comprehensive dataset of termite genomes to date was created by an international team of scientists, led by researchers from the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences. The team sequenced 45 termite genomes and 2 cockroach genomes, increasing the total number of high-quality termite genomes roughly sixfold. The results significantly expand our understanding of the evolution, biology, and ecological success of one of the most important groups of insects on the planet. The report was published by Nature Communications.
Photo: Aleš Buček, BC CAS
Termites are among the most abundant animals on Earth. Their total biomass is estimated to be comparable to that of humans, and they make up as much as 25% of all terrestrial arthropods, including insects, spiders, and other many-legged creatures. They live in complex colonies ranging from a few hundred to several million individuals, divided into castes of workers, soldiers, and reproductives, kings and queens. Termites specialize on decomposing wood and soil organic material, playing a key role in shaping ecosystem structure and function. Unlike bees or ants, termites are relatives of cockroaches and are documented in the fossil record as far back as 130 million years ago. Most of their present-day diversity belongs to the family Termitidae, which originated around 50 million years ago and underwent massive diversification over the last 30 million years.
Despite their critical ecological role and highly developed social organization, genomic resources for termites were previously very limited. Until recently, only nine low-quality termite genomes were publicly available, restricting research into their evolution, defence mechanisms, dietary adaptations, and social behaviour.
The example of the 45 termite species from which genomes were sequenced and analyzed in this study. Face-to-face with Hodotermopsis sjostedti soldier, we can see that it is one of the few termite species with relatively well-depeloped eyes, otherwise termites are mostly blind except for the winged future kings and queens. Photo: Aleš Buček, BC CAS
The new study, led by Thomas Bourguignon from the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, with collaborators from Japan, Germany, China, Brazil, France, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic, overcomes these limitations: the researchers reconstructed 45 termite genomes and two cockroach genomes at nearly-chromosome level. This dataset greatly surpasses previous work in terms of quantity, quality, and phylogenetic representation.
The study not only provides a unique public resource for further research, but also reveals several remarkable trends in termite genome architecture. One of the most surprising findings concerns the wood roach genus Cryptocercus, which represents the sister lineage to all termites. In many aspects of genome structure, Cryptocercus is more similar to termites than to other cockroaches. This suggests that key genomic changes shared by most termite lineages today evolved earlier than previously thought – in the common ancestor of termites and cockroaches.
Anoplotermes banksi is depicted with queen - this species is one of the few species among termites that entirely lost the soldier caste. Photo: Aleš Buček, BC CAS
Analyses also shed new light on the evolutionary success of the Termitidae, which include roughly 75% of described termite species. Members of this group have larger genomes, more genes, and a higher proportion of transposons than other termites. The increase in gene number occurred early in the evolution of this family and included genes involved in digesting wood and soil organic matter (so-called CAZymes), a key adaptation enabling efficient use of their food. This genomic innovation likely underlies their ecological dominance and was one of the main factors contributing to the ecological success of this group.
The newly generated genomic dataset opens the door to a wide range of future discoveries. Several additional scientific articles stemming from this large-scale international project have been published simultaneously, including a recent study in Current Biology. Together, these works provide a solid foundation for further investigation into the genetic mechanisms underlying social behaviour, symbiosis, specialized diets, and resilience in termites, and will allow scientists worldwide to uncover more of the hidden secrets of these remarkable insects.
Neocapritermes taracua is a soil-feeding species with soldiers that have twisted mandibles which function as a spring-powered weapon for defense. Photo: Aleš Buček, BC CAS
Publications
Liu, C., Aumont, C., Mikhailova, A.A., Audisio, T., Hellemans, S., Weng, Y-M, He, S., Clitheroe, c., Wang, Z., Haifig, I., Sillam-Dussès, D., Buček, A., Tokuda, G., Šobotník, J., C. Harrison, M., P. McMahon D., Bourguignon T. (2025) Unravelling the evolution of wood-feeding in termites with 47 high-resolution genome assemblies. Nat Commun 16, 11154 (2025).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65969-5
Liu C., Hellemans S., Weng Y.-M., Mikhailova A. A., Aumont C., Buček A., Šobotník J., Harrison M.C., McMahon D.P., Bourguignon T. (2025) Robust termite phylogenies built using transposable element composition and insertion eve. Current Biology 35: 5626-5632.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.10.019
