[Nature trail - Termites]

Ant-like insects

Termites. Some of you may be familiar with these ant like creatures which are sometimes referred to as ‘white ants.’ But they are not closely related to true ants.

These small insects that have been around for millions of years are a group of eusocial insects that live in colonies. A typical colony contains nymphs (semi-mature young), workers, soldiers and reproductive individuals of both genders, sometimes comprising several egg laying queens.

There are also king termites... Worker termites undertake the tasks of foraging, food storage, brood and nest maintenance and some defence duties in certain species. They are the main caste in the colony.

Termites are generally grouped according to their feeding behaviour. Some of them are subterranean, soil-feeding, drywood, dampwood and grass-eating termites.They are found in many parts of the world, but in countries such as Africa and Australia they are found in large numbers. The mounds they build are enormous.

Let’s check out some interesting facts about these ant-like insects that are considered a pest because some species destroy many wooden structures.

Are there termite cities?

Yes, but they are definitely not like the ‘cities’ we live in. Many species of termites in the tropical dry savannas build very high mounds where they live and work. These magnetic termite mounds can be 3.5m (11 ft) high. Would you believe that the Macrotermes in Africa build mounds that are about 7.5m (24 ft) high - that is about four times the height of a human. But in contrast some species make their nests entirely within one plant and even underground. These are very small. So, when termites build such mounds and nests in large areas, they are known as termite cities.

Who helps termites digest their food?

There are many wood-eating termites, but they do not actually digest the wood themselves. They rely on protozoa (single-celled animals) that live in their gut to break it down. Similarly large colonies of bacteria that live in the gut of other termites help break down food. There are also bacteria that take nitrogen from the air and turn it into body-building protein. Termites owe a lot to these tiny creatures in their guts.

What is a termite garden?

As we explained, there are many species of termites. Some species of termites, including Macrotermes farms or grow a fungus. They are known to make special ‘fungus combs’ out of their own faeces and this is used as a base to grow the fungus. These are called termite gardens. The fungus breaks down the faeces and the termites feed on the fungus and its products.

This fungus is special because it is only found growing in termite nests.

Are there magnetic termite nests?

Yes. There are magnetic termites that live in Australia. They are known to build a nest in a flat blade shape with the flat sides pointing east and west. This brings in the cooler, morning and evening sunbeams, but as only the narrow edge points north, only a little of the sunbeams, when its hottest at noon, gets in.

The nest is often used as a compass by people in the bush. This is how the nest ended up being called magnetic nests.

Do termites have ‘soldiers’ like ants do?

As termites too live in colonies, there are soldier termites which are tougher than the worker termites. Many species of termites are known to have soldier termites with huge armoured heads and powerful jaws that are used to bite off enemies, especially ants.

There are some species of termites that have soldier termites with special ‘snouts’ that are capable of shooting sticky fluid over an enemy. However, these ‘tough’ soldier termites are designed only for fighting and so they cannot even feed themselves. They have to depend on the workers to provide food for them.

There are some termite species that do not have soldiers to protect them. It is the workers who take over the task of protecting and defending the nest from enemies or predators. There are ‘suicide bombers’ instead of soldier termites. These worker ‘bombers’ protect the colony from enemy ants by bursting their guts open and spilling the slimy contents over the attacking ants. They kill themselves to protect the colony.

Fast facts

* The cap-shaped roof of the African forest termite’s mound helps keep the rain away from the mound.

* Macrotermes build a hollow nest with a central chimney and side channels to allow the circulation of air.

* The queen termites only job is to lay eggs and she becomes huge. Once her huge abdomen is filled with eggs, she lays thousands of eggs. In some species the queen lays up to 30,000 eggs a day!

* Millions of termites live in the tropics. There may be as many as 4,000 per square metre (3,300 per square yard) or twice this amount.

* The weight of termites in a square kilometre (0.4 square mile) under the ground is more than the weight of all the zebras and elephants feeding on the vegetation above the ground.

* They are great recyclers of plant materials.