How is the termite maker?

Termites live in the so-called communities, which reminds ants. The people call them that - white ants. However, these insects do not have any kindred ties, and termites themselves are close in nature to cockroaches. What do they look like, what do they prefer to eat and how is their nest - termite maker arranged? Let's find out!

Characteristic

Termites are insects with an incomplete transformation cycle that live in huge colonies. Each member of the so-called family belongs to a particular caste and performs specific functions.

Workers

These are representatives of the "lower class." Their body length is very small - from 0.5 to 0.8 mm, and since workers live in moist places, their covers are always soft and have a light color. Due to the predominantly underground lifestyle, vision in these individuals is very poorly developed, in some eyes are completely absent. The head of the representatives of this caste of termite is rounded and you can also recognize them by the underdeveloped chest.

On a note! However, sometimes the body color of working termites can be quite dark. It depends on the species of insects. For example, South African species appear on the surface quite often, and therefore their covers have a dark brown hue!

The main part of their lives, workers look after young animals, as well as replenish food supplies and take an active part in the construction and regular repair of termite mounds. Plus, they feed termite soldiers, as they have a special head structure and are not able to feed on their own.

Soldiers

Termites do not look like workers. Their head capsule is larger and powerful jaws are located on it. Such a special oral apparatus helps soldiers, if necessary, block narrow passageways of tunnels during attacks of other insects.

On a note! Termite soldiers living in tropical regions have a special process on their heads, with the help of which they inject sticky secret into the enemy’s body. After a while, this substance dries up and immobilizes the victim!

Termite soldiers begin to act after some damage has been done to their nest. They crawl out and try to restrain the onslaught of the enemy, while working individuals repair the destroyed part of the termite mound. But at the same time, soldiers quite often die - the workers clog all the passages and do not allow those left outside to hide in the anthill.

Queen and king

These insects are the "cream of society" termites. The king is a sexually mature male that fertilizes the female, and the queen lays after the egg. Compared to other members of the family, the queen has very impressive dimensions - her body can reach a length of 10 cm. It begins to grow after fertilization and, as a result, the female loses her ability to move and feed.

The king spends his whole life next to the female, while the dimensions of his body only slightly exceed the length of the body of ordinary soldiers. He mates exclusively with the female, after which he does not die, as is common with ants.
For a day, the queen lays up to 3 thousand.eggs from which young termites appear after some time. In addition, the female takes part in feeding the working individuals - she secrets a special secret, which contains pheromones. It is he who is licked by termite workers from her abdomen.

Young growth

Young individuals, even when they reach puberty, remain in the “parental” nest. And they leave it only in the spring or at the beginning of summer, when the period of swarming begins.

Immediately after fertilization, both males and females bite their wings off, which makes them very vulnerable. For this reason, they quite often become the prey of large insects and birds. Survivors are building new nests.

But at the same time, there are always several young couples in the “parental” termite mound, who later can take the place of the king and queen in case of their death. Although this happens quite rarely.

Food

What do termites eat? The basis of their diet is vegetation, often dried wood. At the same time, not only the insect organism is responsible for the digestion process, but the flagellates that live there.

On a note! About 200 species of simple organisms were found in the gastrointestinal tract of termite, which help process heavy food! In some cases, their number is so great that the mass of protozoa can be 1/3 of the total weight of the insect! After the activity of flagellates, hard wood is converted into sugars, which are then processed by the termite organism!

As mentioned above, only workers are able to eat on their own, they feed all the rest:

• soldiers - they absorb secretions from the oral apparatus and nutrient-rich excrement;
• king and queen - these representatives of the nest feed on the same substances as the soldiers;
• larvae - they consume salivary secretions and spores of fungi that are grown in termite mounds.

Nesting places

Many types of termites live in the same place where they eat.

• Wood termites - if they find suitable wood, but at the same time it does not come into contact with the soil, for example, when the foundation of the structure is laid out of stone, then the insects build covered passages through which they reach their destination. Clay serves as the building material for such covered galleries, and termites cover the outer surfaces of the passages with a secret that they themselves release. This substance helps maintain optimal moisture in the built moves.
• Termites that live in the savannah are built by anthills, which are very similar in appearance to the pyramids - such a termite mound can rise several meters above the surface of the earth and has a domed roof with a spire at the top. Often there are two-layer buildings with very hard walls, consisting of small particles of soil.
• Termites that live in rainforests build their nests right on the trees. These termite mounds resemble multi-tiered umbrellas, the base of which is in contact with the soil, connecting with it with the help of covered passages.
• The anthill of the North Australian termites is wedge-shaped and is located, as a rule, in the open territory. Such a termite mound is somewhat flattened on its sides, while the narrow walls are always oriented south and north, and the wide ones are east and west.

In one termite, several hundred million insects can live. Construction always begins with the "disposal" of a pair of mature termites that have recently left the "parent" nest. Over time, the newly-made king and queen reproduce a certain number of workers who are engaged in the construction of a termite mound. And its appearance will depend on the species of insects and their habitat. But in most cases, the anthill consists of aerial parts and underground. The first rises above the soil level, the second is a network of passages and rooms.

A termite maker always turns out to be quite strong and it is often difficult to break it.However, some nests can be very high. For example, a termite mound with a height of 12.8 m was discovered in Zaire. Such large animals as buffalos and even elephants could freely hide from the scorching sun!