The "heroes" of our story are termites. What it is? What is their habitat? What do they eat?
Are termites ants?
These insects, which look like ants, but are not, are considered a terrible scourge in the general human understanding. From the actions of the so-called "white ants", which are actually related to cockroaches, mighty trees crumble from one push, wooden buildings are destroyed … And besides, they pose a real threat to human he alth. Questions about what natural zone termites live in, what it is, what their mode of existence, habitat features are the subject of entomologists' research. All these topics are described in many documentaries and covered in scientific programs. Such insects are poisoned with the most effective poisons, special services are formed to deal with them, but the measures taken in no way diminish the harm they cause.
Whichnatural area live termites?
Where do termites live? The number of their varieties on the planet is approaching three thousand, the main part lives in the subtropical and tropical zones. Only two species are represented on the territory of Russia, and they can be found in the region of Vladivostok and Sochi.
These insects live in huge multi-million groups called colonies; in each of them there is a clear division into castes: workers (the majority), soldiers, queen and king. Body coloration of adult termites varies from whitish-yellow to black.
Description of the working caste
What do termites look like? Working individuals are easy to identify by their rounded head and small size: on average, the length of their body - light and soft (due to constant residence in shelters saturated with water vapor) - does not exceed 1 centimeter. African termites, often crawling to the surface, are distinguished by a dark brown body. The underground lifestyle also had a negative impact on the organs of vision of working individuals: they are blind or see very poorly.
If only females work for ants, then among working termites there are representatives of both sexes. Their purpose is to dig tunnels, build a termite mound, repair it, obtain and save food, and care for offspring. Worker termites also feed soldiers who are unable to feed themselves due to the specific structure of the head capsule.
Termite Soldiers
Soldiers - the next caste, also working, but performing slightly different functions and havingthe result is a different structure. Termite soldiers, whose description is somewhat different from the worker caste, protect the colony from external enemies and are armed with powerful long mandibles (jaws). Some tropical species of termite soldiers, in addition, have a small process on their heads, through which a special sticky substance is injected into the enemy, which dries up on contact with air and fetters its movement. The soldiers have a large head capsule (reddish-brown, black, light yellow or orange), which acts as a kind of plug during the blockade of narrow tunnels, there are no wings, and they are blind. The smallest termites (these species live in South America) reach only 2.5 mm in size; the largest are the insects of Mexico and Arizona - 22 mm in length. If there is a partial destruction of the termite mound, hordes of soldiers come to the defense, trying to hold back the advance of the enemy until the worker termites repair their dwelling. In this case, the soldiers find themselves in a trap themselves and no longer have the opportunity to get out of it.
King and Queen
The "head" of sexually mature individuals is the egg-laying female (queen) and the king - the male fertilizing her and other reproductive insects. Compared to other termites, the queen is simply huge and can reach 10 centimeters in length. The body of the female in the process of reproduction of offspring increases several hundred times, which is why she is not able to move and eat on her own, and this becomes the concern of workers who carry andfeeding her.
The queen lives in a special section, in the very middle of the mound, along with her king, who is near her throughout her life. It is slightly larger than the soldier termite and has the exclusive right to mate with the female. After fertilization, the male, unlike fellow ants, does not die.
The female queen is very prolific and can lay up to 3,000 eggs per day. The masonry record holder is the Indo-Malay variety, which produces an egg per second; in digital terms - more than 80,000 times a day. All this time, a special substance containing pheromones is secreted on the abdomen of the female, which is eaten with pleasure by working termites. The life expectancy of a queen is about fifteen years, and all these years the male and female remain faithful to each other. During the existence of a pair, several million individuals of young offspring are born.
Features of the behavior of young animals
The young generation lives in the "parents" termite mound until a certain time and leaves the "father's house" during the swarming period (late spring - early summer), starting to mate. At this time, they become extremely vulnerable, because after fertilization, the male and female cut off their wings. Many of the young termites are easy prey for spiders, centipedes, insectivorous birds. The lucky survivors set about building a nest. Not everyone leaves the termite mound: several pairs remain in case of a possible death of the female, which happens quite rarely.
Termite mound is difficultbuilding
As the name implies, a termite mound is a "house" in which termites live. What is it, what features are inherent in such a structure and what are the rules for the existence of a “population” in it?
After the birth of a sufficient number of workers, the latter begin to build a new reliable shelter for the future colony, the location of which is determined by the young couple. Amazingly, ant-sized insects have an incredible ability to build huge "castles" with intricate labyrinths of internal passages, towering more than 8 meters above the soil surface. A record-breaking huge termite mound, whose height was 12.8 meters above the ground, was recorded in Zaire. In the shade of such structures - the most complex structures erected by non-humans - buffaloes, elephants and other large animals hide from the scorching sun. Termite mounds are diverse in form: some resemble cathedrals, others are horizontally oriented from north to south, for which they received the name "magnetic". This arrangement contributes to minimal penetration of solar radiation and the formation of a constant microclimate: humidity and temperature.
The structure of a termite mound
The termite mound consists of a ground part (which is a large elevation) and an underground part, consisting of a network of numerous intricate tunnels and rooms. The material for construction is a composition of the excrement of working termites, their saliva, crushed wood, dry blades of grass andclay. Structures built from such a mixture are characterized by high strength and water resistance of the walls. The color of the termite mound often matches the color of the soil and is not striking to predators, merging with the environment. In the ground part of the structure, most often there are chambers with larvae, eggs, "mushroom gardens" and a huge grid of ventilation tunnels. There you can also observe small farms with thermophiles - animals that secrete special substances that are licked with pleasure by termites. Thus, a symbiosis occurs between them, in which the second side - thermophiles (a vivid example is the termitoxenia fly) - receives a rich source of food and a favorable microclimate.
Location of termite mounds
In tropical conditions (high humidity and constant rainfall), termite mounds are often found high in trees; moreover, the nest built in the branches is attached so firmly that it can withstand the most terrible hurricanes. To get to the hard-to-reach termite dwelling, you have to cut down branches.
Some representatives of the infraorder live in tree trunks, furrowed with passages stretching to the very roots. In arid regions (for example, in Central Asia), termite mounds are located deep underground, and there are no signs on the surface that indicate their presence in this place.
What do termites eat
The food for termites is mainly elements of plant origin, for example, dry wood, the digestion of which occurs due to flagellates - the simplestorganisms that live in the intestines. By the way, about 200 species of protozoa live in the stomach and intestines of the termite, the total mass of which is sometimes 1/3 of the weight of the insect. They process inedible wood into easily digestible sugars.
Only working individuals are able to feed on their own, the subsistence of the rest of the caste depends on them. Soldiers, due to the excessive development of the mandibles and the underdevelopment of the rest of the mouth, are unable to chew food on their own, and therefore feed on the nutrient-rich excrement of workers or secretions from the mouth, which the king and queen also consume. Termite larvae eat salivary secretions of adults and spores of moldy fungi. Various residues present in the soil - rotting wood, manure, leaves, animal skin - are eaten by workers, but the food is not immediately digested, and the excrement of humus-eating individuals is then consumed by another termite worker or soldier. Thus, the same food repeatedly passes through a series of intestines until it is completely digested.
Australian Aborigines are, by the way, the only ones who have a wind musical instrument "didgeridoo", made from eucalyptus branches, the core of which is eaten away by termites.
The role of termites in nature
Why do we need termites? What is it and what role do they play in the external environment? In nature, such insects perform the function of processors of plant residues; also with their help, the formation and mixing of the upper soil layers occurs. Supposed,that the methane released by these insects in the course of their activity participates in the overall effect of greenhouse gases. Termites are comparable in their total biomass to the entire biomass of terrestrial vertebrates.
Termites against humans
Unfortunately, termites don't make friends with humans. In the tropics, these are dangerous pests that destroy wooden structures: they gnaw on furniture, ceilings, and books. For example, in Southeast Asia, due to termites, sometimes cities and towns have to be moved to another place. Their aggressive attacks lead to the collapse of houses. Along with earthworms and ants, termites play a significant role in the circulation of soil matter; winged individuals serve as food for a large number of predators.
It is quite difficult to determine the presence of such insects. House termites are operating inside, leaving the outer shell intact. They don't even shy away from money: in 2008, a certain businessman found dust from securities and money in his bank box.
Surprisingly, termites are one of the most popular insects in cooking due to their high protein content. In the Amazon basins, Indians barbecue them, fry them in their own juices, or crush them to make a condiment. Thermite bouillon cubes are even sold in Nigeria.
