Populations of the eastern subterranean termite, Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), are widely distributed across North America and have been introduced into various parts of Europe. Although colonies of this species are most abundant in the warmer, southern regions, populations have been found to persist in more northern climates where they must contend with frozen soil at least part of the year. Their ability to occupy such a broad geographic range suggests some level of adaptability to fluctuations in environmental conditions. Cold tolerance studies have been used to estimate the distributions of several insect species. However, specific mechanisms contributing to cold tolerance in termites still need to be elucidated. Here, we utilize specific cold-tolerance assays to characterize cold tolerance in a northern population of R. flavipes in an effort to better understand the underlying mechanisms these insects may be using to persist along the northern boundary of their distribution.

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