Termites live in large families. Termites, also known as white ants, are found throughout Africa. Termites vs humans

Termites are often called "white ants". Termites received this name due to the fact that they, like ants, lead a “social” lifestyle, often build conical structures, like ants, and are characterized by polymorphism (by the way, polymorphism in termites is more pronounced than in anteaters), and the main The role in maintaining the life of the colony in termites, like in ants, is played by sexually underdeveloped individuals. But these analogies, determined by similar living conditions, limit the similarity between termites and ants. Termites are an order of insects with incomplete metamorphosis, and ants are representatives not only of another order (Hymenoptera), but also of another department of insects - Holometabola.

Termites are almost unknown to residents of areas with a temperate climate: their main element is the tropics and subtropics, especially the tropics. True, some species are more widespread and reach, for example, as far as the south of the Ukrainian SSR, and in big cities, having adapted to life in heated buildings, termites can be found further north: there are many termites in Hamburg, termites have been recorded in Dnepropetrovsk. But in general, termites are inhabitants of the tropics.

In total, about 2,500 species of termites are known.

Termites are medium-sized insects. The size of individuals in one species and even in one caste varies greatly (in Bellicositermes natalensis - all-destroying termite South Africa - sexual individuals are 1.5 cm long, workers - 0.5-0.8 cm, soldiers - up to 1.5 cm).

Typically, in a family numbering from several hundred to hundreds of thousands and even millions of individuals, there is one oviparous female (“queen”) and a fertilizing male (“king”). These are sexually mature individuals that have shed their wings. In addition, in a termite mound at certain periods (before swarming) there are quite a lot of winged males and females hatched in it, which, in suitable weather and at a certain time, leave the nest to found new colonies.

Winged individuals are characterized by the presence of two pairs of equally developed long reticulated wings, similar in venation; the wings are so long that, when folded on the back, they protrude far beyond the end of the abdomen. The order got its name from the structure of its wings (Isoptera - “identically winged”). The thorax and abdomen segments of winged termites are quite strongly sclerotized.

The bulk of the population of the termite mound are working individuals (Table 26). Workers are sexually underdeveloped males and females. In this respect, termites are very different from ants, in which, like other social Hymenoptera, workers are always female. Working individuals resemble termite larvae - in fact, the development of worker termites after hatching from the egg is direct. Working individuals have soft, non-pigmented integuments, which is associated with their constant residence in shelters, in an atmosphere saturated with water vapor. There is only one exception among termites in this regard. Some South African termites(Hodotermes) have open-living workers; their integuments are dark brown or black. But, as a rule, the integument of termites is soft and thin, and in the mushroom-growing Bellicositermes natalensis, even the head capsule is transparent and everything is visible through the integument. internal organs insect.

Workers are characterized by a rounded head and a poorly developed chest. At the posterior end of the abdomen there are sensory 2-5-segmented cerci - a feature characteristic of cryptoliving forms. The eyes of working individuals are underdeveloped and often completely absent.

Soldiers are a special category of specialized working individuals, characterized by a very highly developed head capsule and powerful long mandibles. These jaws are used against enemies - termites of other species, and most importantly, against ants. Some “nosed” soldiers (Fig. 138) have a gland canal in the process of the head, through which a sticky liquid is sprayed onto the enemy, binding the movement of the insect.

Termites feed mainly on plant foods. Only working individuals of termites are capable of independent feeding. Soldiers, due to the excessive development of the mandibles and the poor development of the remaining parts of the oral apparatus, do not feed themselves: they are fed by working individuals either with secretions from the mouth or with excrement directly from the anus - they still contain enough nutrients for soldiers. After the establishment of the colony, the sexual individuals are fed by the secretions of the salivary glands of workers or larvae. The smallest larvae are also fed by workers, giving them secretions from their salivary glands or chewed fungal spores.

The most primitive food consumed by termites in tropical forests, - plant and animal remains decomposing in the soil, humus. Various remains in the soil - rotting wood, leaves, manure, animal skin - are eaten by worker termites, but the food is not immediately completely digested, and the excrement of the humus-eating termite is then eaten by another worker termite or soldier. Thus, the same food passes through a series of intestines until it is completely absorbed in the colony.

Many omnivorous termites have mushrooms in their nests (“mushroom gardens”, Fig. 139), growing on specially deposited accumulations of excrement and pieces of wood - mainly representatives of ordinary molds. But sometimes termite nests contain fungi that are not found either in the surrounding soil or in the bodies of termites (Termitomyces). These mushrooms are used mainly to feed young larvae.

Many termites are wood feeders, sometimes consuming dry wood, even pure fiber. Digestion of fiber in termites is carried out with the help of flagella from Hypermastigina (Trichonympha, etc.), which are constantly present in the intestine, destroying cellulose; Termites do not produce their own cellulase. Termites use their intestinal flagellate symbionts as a source of protein. It is interesting that the intestines of termites contain the same flagellates that are also found in wood-destroying cockroaches (Cryptocercus), which can serve as biological confirmation of the idea that termites are close to cockroaches, which can be traced when comparing many signs of the organization of insects of these orders. In addition, sources of protein nitrogen for termites are symbiotic bacteria that are capable of fixing nitrogen and are found in these insects.

Those termites that feed on wood and fiber are sometimes indiscriminate with respect to the source of such food, but sometimes they are very picky. There are, for example, such as Trinervitermes in South Africa that eat dried, freshly cut herbaceous plants.

The life of a termite family begins with a dispersal flight. At certain periods of the year (in the temperate zone in spring and early summer), winged individuals appear in termite nests and remain in the nest until certain point: in dry areas - before rain approaches, in the humid tropics - until favorable temperature and humidity are established. During a period favorable for flight, holes are made in the nest, if it is completely closed, through which winged termites fly out. Often, swarming termites literally swarm the air. A winged male and female meet in the air; they sit down and mate, and their wings immediately break off to the very base. After the summer Turkestan termite In the Hungry Steppe, it happens that in all depressions in the soil a thick layer of broken wings of termites accumulates. At the time of swarming and after shedding their wings, termites are defenseless and are pecked en masse by insectivorous birds; Termites that have settled on the ground are readily eaten by predatory insects, spiders, and centipedes.

The surviving pairs begin to prepare the nest. It is interesting that, no matter where the termite mound is located in the future, the beginning of a new colony is laid by digging a hole in the ground (Fig. 140). When the hole is dug, the female lays a few eggs in a small nesting chamber, from which hatch larvae similar to wingless termites. The small larvae are fed by the parents, and when more larvae appear and they grow up, food production passes to them. Young termites that have turned into workers begin work on building a nest and obtaining food and feeding their father and mother. From the eggs, first only working individuals develop, then workers and soldiers, and only in large nests do winged ones appear.

As the colony grows, the female changes noticeably. Her wing muscles, the muscles of her limbs, and even the muscles of her mouth parts are atrophying - “reverse development” is taking place. But the abdomen, filled with eggs, grows progressively. The female becomes motionless, completely dependent on the workers feeding her (Fig. 141), she lays eggs all the time, and the workers feed the larvae, which turn into new workers. The female termite secretes some substances that are licked by the workers licking her. These substances contain telergones (otherwise known as pheromones), which influence the development of larvae. Only when the colony grows or the female weakens do winged individuals begin to appear: obviously, in this case, some of the larvae are not exposed to the effects of telergos that inhibit development.

The female's fertility is amazing. U Guiana termite(Microtermes arboreus) the female laid 1680 eggs per day, and Suriname termite(Nasutitermes surinamensis) the female laid about 3000 eggs in 28 hours. The lifespan of a female is calculated in years, and overall fertility is calculated in millions of eggs laid. If the female dies, replacement females begin to develop in the nest. They are fed from larvae, which begin to develop the rudiments of wings. Such “substitutes” do not fly, but begin to reproduce. In appearance, over time, they become more and more similar to their mother, but they are always easy to recognize - they do not have the remains of shed wings.

Termites build their nests in different ways.

In hot countries with a monsoon climate, where wetter and drier periods alternate, termites sometimes erect very tall structures - termite mounds, rising above the grass like houses. Unlike our loose ant heaps, termite mounds are very large structures made of firmly cemented clay and sometimes so hard that they are difficult to break! Such termite mounds (Table 27) are a roof over the underground part of the nest; inside these structures there are chambers with juveniles and “mushroom gardens”. The fact is that the larvae, worker termites, and, of course, the oviparous “queen” are very sensitive to the lack of moisture in the air. But they are also sensitive to dripping water. Therefore, they build nests whose walls are impenetrable to water, inside which they create their own microclimate. IN open areas termite structures are often oriented and built so as not to be overheated by the scorching sun - the termite mound has a narrow, elongated shape and is located approximately so that its axis is elongated from north to south (Table 27). Sometimes they are conical, allowing water to flow over the walls, and sometimes they are made with an overhanging roof - mushroom-shaped. They are often short, and often reach such sizes that, for example, in India, large animals, not only buffalos, but even... elephants, sometimes take refuge in destroyed termite mounds.

In real tropical forests, where every day it's raining, and the air is saturated with moisture, many types of termites make nests not on the ground, but on trees (Fig. 142), sometimes suspended, having only a roof.

In dry areas where conditions are different, for example here in Central Asia, Transcaspian termite(Anacanthotermes ahngerianus) makes nests that go down to a depth of 12 m in sandy areas, and it happens that on the surface of the soil the presence of a termite nest located in the depths is not noticeable.

Connection with sources of moisture is necessary for termites; in dry places they settle where they can reach layers of condensing or groundwater. But direct contact with water is destructive for these insects, which have permeable integuments.

It is difficult for us to even imagine the role that termites play in the life of tropical nature, in the life of residents of hot countries.

In tropical forests, termites are the main destroyers of all plant debris. The formation of soil in the tropics, the mixing of its layers, the circulation of substances in the tropical forest are processes determined by the activity of termites. There are often no other soil animals in tropical forests, but termites are infested. With rare exceptions, termites feed only on dead wood and in virgin forests they largely determine the fertility of the soil. But when human interests collide with termites, their positive role gives way to the harm they cause to us.

All wooden structures are subject to the destructive activity of termites. A wooden house lasts only a few years. But stone foundations do not protect wooden building structures from termites. These moisture-loving and light-avoiding insects construct covered galleries on the surface of the stone parts of buildings, gluing them from clay particles so that they communicate with the soil. Termites spray the inner surface of such passages with the liquid they secrete in order to maintain the necessary humidity in the galleries.

Through such galleries, termites penetrate to wooden floors and literally riddled them, as a result of which ceilings collapse, floors collapse, etc. In a house that has been empty for several months, furniture often falls apart from a light touch - termites gnaw their passages in wooden objects, so that All that remains is a thin plate on the surface, protecting from open air, which termites cannot stand, and spongy bridges inside the boards, supporting the worn-out objects that have become light. In South America it is rare to find a surviving book from them that was published more than 50 years ago. In Africa, India, South-East Asia There are many known cases when entire villages and even cities had to be moved because of termites - so great harm they cause. Sometimes termites help accelerate the death of fruit trees.

In India, the annual loss due to termites is estimated at Rs 280 million.

In our country, termites are most common in Central Asia: in the Karakum Desert, Kyzylkum Desert, and in the Hungry Steppe, they are found in large numbers making underground nests Transcaspian termite(Anacanthotermes ahngerianus) and Turkestan termite(A. turkestanicus). Settlements of the Trans-Caspian termite are recognized by a slightly convex, rounded, wide mound, and by the color of the soil, slightly different from the surrounding background. And the Turkestan termite can be found in earthen galleries along the trunks and stems of dry desert shrubs.

In cities and other settlements, these termites severely damage buildings. They destroy adobe (unbaked clay brick with straw), which is easy and convenient to build in dry areas. They also destroy wooden floors of buildings, although usually in natural conditions leave almost no soil. Thus, there was a case of collapse of the ceilings of one of the factories in Fergana, and after a strong earthquake in Ashgabat it turned out that the ceiling beams of many buildings were severely corroded by termites.

In areas where there are a lot of termites, before laying buildings, the soil is inoculated, the building is built on a concrete foundation, the wooden parts of the buildings are impregnated with anti-termite compounds, wooden sleepers are replaced with reinforced concrete ones, and the foundations of houses are regularly monitored, destroying galleries of settling termites.

Superorder - Cockroaches

Squad - Isoptera

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Length: queen and male 1.5 cm, workers - 0.5-0.8 cm, soldiers - up to 1.5 cm.

Oral apparatus: gnawing type, enlarged in soldiers.

Wings: only in sexually mature individuals.

REPRODUCTION

Number of testicles: 2000 per day.

Incubation period: 3 months. The larvae are similar to adults.

LIFE STYLE

Habits: termites (see photo) form large colonies with a clearly defined social organization.

What it eats: plant material, such as wood.

RELATED SPECIES

There are about 2,000 species of termites; their closest relatives are cockroaches.

Termites are small insects. However, in Africa, India and Southeast Asia there are many cases where villages and even cities had to be moved because of them - they can cause so much damage.

REPRODUCTION

Only in very large termite mounds do winged individuals appear. These are sexually mature females and males who, when favorable weather leave the nest in order to found new colonies. Their wings are rather weak and the insects quickly fall to the ground, hence they never fly long distances. Swarms of termites that fly are a source of food for many birds, small predators and lizards, so only a few of them survive.

A new pair of termites digs a nesting chamber in the ground and settles in it. This is how a new termite colony is born. When the chamber is built, the male and female mate and the first workers hatch from the testicles. The small larvae are fed by their parents, and when more of them appear and they grow up, the responsibility for obtaining food falls on the workers. From this moment on, the queen and the male are engaged only in reproduction. Young termites, having turned into workers, begin to build a termite mound. In addition, they are the ones who feed the father and mother.

In a new colony, first only worker termites develop from eggs, then workers and soldiers, and only in very large termite mounds do winged individuals develop.

LIFESTYLE

The 2,000 species of termites live primarily in the tropics and subtropics. Termites are “social” insects. They form large colonies in which each individual performs its assigned function. Typically, in each colony, numbering from several hundred to hundreds of thousands and even millions of individuals, there is one queen and a male who fertilizes her.

The termite mound is guarded by soldier termites, some of which have a gland channel in the process of their head, through which a sticky substance is sprayed onto the enemy. The largest caste is the workers. They are engaged in construction, repair, cleaning of the termite mound, caring for eggs and larvae, obtaining food and feeding everyone: the queen and the male, soldiers, larvae.

Termite mounds can be conical, so that water flows freely along their walls, or with an overhanging roof - mushroom-shaped. The walls of some termite mounds are so hard that they are difficult to break - they are built from tightly cemented clay. Some termites build nests in the canopy of trees, while others dig a complex network of underground corridors with a system of chambers. In all cases, there must be a certain microclimate inside.

WHAT DO THEY EAT

Termites eat plant foods. Only workers feed themselves. The soldiers cannot feed themselves due to their prohibitively large mandibles. The queen and the male are fed by secretions salivary glands workers or larvae. The smallest larvae are also fed by workers.

Typically termites feed on rotten wood, leaves, and manure. This food is not completely digested, so the workers' excrement is eaten by other worker or soldier termites. Thus, the same food passes through a series of intestines until it is completely absorbed. Some species of omnivorous termites grow “mushroom gardens” in their nests, where mushrooms grow on excrement and pieces of wood. Many termites feed on wood, sometimes even consuming dry wood or pure fiber.

ENEMIES

Soldiers are a special caste of specialized working individuals. They have a highly developed head capsule and powerful long mandibles. The soldiers' mandibles are so huge that they cannot chew their own food, so they are fed by workers. Many other invertebrates are trying to get into the termite mound. These intruders are awaited by soldiers whose function is to delay and, if possible, destroy the enemy. Some “nosed” soldiers have a gland canal in the process of their head, through which a sticky liquid is sprayed onto the enemy. However, often the soldiers fail to apprehend the intruder and robber ants can completely devastate the termite mound. Anteaters and pangolins break through the wall of the termite mound and eat these insects, which make up the basis of their diet.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

They live in darkness and dampness, are blind, communicate using smell and taste, eat wood, can eat a wooden house, furniture, books.

Termites, or white ants, live in all tropical countries. The most famous are the giant cone buildings of African termites. They reach a height of 8-9 meters and are built from soil particles. They form “states”. Termite workers and soldiers are wingless, and future kings and queens have wings only during the period of settlement. These insects lead a secretive lifestyle. Their underground passages located at a depth of 4-5 meters. The larvae are fed with mushrooms, which are specially bred in termite mounds. Size - about 1 cm, an adult queen is palm-length.

INTERESTING FACTS. DID YOU KNOW THAT..

• In hot and dry areas, the air in termite mounds is always humid. The walls of termite mounds do not allow water to pass through and do not allow moisture to evaporate, which gets inside through underground shafts.
• In Mexico, termites have a symbiotic relationship with the ant tree: by consuming wood, they loosen the soil, giving the plant oxygen.
• Australian termites build amazing slab-shaped structures that look like tombstones. These termite mounds are always oriented so as not to overheat under the scorching sun.
• Termite mounds often reach enormous sizes. For example, in India, large animals sometimes hide from bad weather in destroyed termite mounds: not only buffalos, but even elephants.

TERMITE

Termites are often called “white ants.” They received this name because, like ants, they lead a “social” lifestyle. But in general they are related to ants and cockroaches. The main role in maintaining life in them, like in ants, is played by individuals that are sexually underdeveloped.

Ventilation shafts: the shaft system allows for good distribution of oxygen and heat.

"Mushroom Gardens": fungi decompose cellulose.

Uterine chamber: here the fertilized uterus continually lays eggs.

Surface: hard as concrete.

WHERE DOES IT LIVE?

Mainly in tropical and subtropical regions, up to 45-50 parallels south and north of the equator.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

Termites are one of the most numerous orders of insects. Only some species that build nests in trees are at risk due to jungle clearing.

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Termites created our world - made it what it is now. Well, they are not alone, of course. But without termites - and in terms of their total biomass, termites are comparable to total biomass terrestrial vertebrates - tropical forests, for example, could not exist. These inconspicuous insects quickly destroy huge amounts of dead plant matter, so that it does not have time to accumulate. If not for them, tropical forests (and savannas and others) in a few decades would have turned into impenetrable swampy windfall wilds, littered with rotting vegetation piled on top of each other, abundantly emitting methane - as, in fact, it was on Earth in Carboniferous periods, preceding the appearance of small workers (the first termites, according to modern data, appeared in). Considering that in the very recent – ​​by geological standards – past there were periods when tropical forests covered most of the land, without termites the climate and conditions on our planet would be different.

Termites are not related to the Hymenoptera: ants and bees, and “invented” the colonial way of life long before them (bees, wasps and ants in the form in which we know them appeared only in, after flowers). The closest relatives of termites are cockroaches. To be convinced of this, it is enough to look not at domestic Prussians, but at free-living tropical tree-eating cockroaches - some of them are practically transitional forms. In the North American wood borer Cryptocercus punctulatus (bottom left) the female lives with her brood. Feeding on wood, cryptocercus eat their way into soft rotting wood and feed on this food: their intestines contain protozoa, like those of termites, that help digest cellulose - others, but “termite-compatible”; in one experiment, termites deprived of microflora were successfully transplanted with cockroach symbionts. In cockroaches of the genus Panesthia (bottom right) females break off their wings before laying eggs, like termite queens after their mating flight.

And the most primitive of modern termites, Mastotermes (bottom)(a very numerous family in past eras, now there is only one species left), lays eggs in “packs”, as cockroaches do, and not one at a time, like higher termites, they do not build a permanent one and in their way of life (and even externally - if we talk about sexually mature individual - that dark one) are more reminiscent of the above-mentioned cockroaches.

Interestingly, both cockroaches and termites are highly dependent on precisely the conditions that existed on most of the planet before the activity of termites changed its appearance - high temperature and humidity and lack of direct sunlight. Something in their structure prevents them from evolving to move beyond these conditions like other insects. Termites have not adapted to negative temperatures over hundreds of millions of years, and this is fortunate - a separate post could be written about the losses caused by termites to residents of warm regions, but we are not talking about that now; but the rest of the parameters - constant humidity, darkness, high carbon dioxide content - they learned to artificially create in their nests. Perhaps global climate change served as the main incentive for termites to transition to a social way of life: having failed to adapt to the changing climate, they learned to change it to suit themselves, albeit within a single heap.

Well, like “heaps”... termite houses are often very sophisticated engineering structures, even though they were built almost by touch by blind creatures the size of a grain. Here, for example, are compass termite mounds:

They are oriented from north to south, as a result, dawn and sunset rays illuminate the wall of the termite mound, warming it, and the midday sun looks only at a narrow edge, which allows the building not to get too hot during the day.

Inside the termite mound (not only the compass termite, but also other types) has a ventilation system arranged something like this:

The diagram does not yet mark the underground air ducts through which the nest receives Fresh air from the vicinity of a termite mound, and a “water well” that often exists in arid areas is a vertical shaft to an aquifer that can reach a depth of more than 30 m, thanks to which termite mounds located even in the driest deserts always maintain the high humidity so necessary for termites. Not by themselves, working individuals move along the walls of the chamber in two streams: downwards - withered, skinny, upwards - heavily laden, drunk. All termites share water, as well as food, with each other - the termite mound, like the anthill, and the hive have a common digestive system- so that the moisture brought by the “water carriers” is evenly distributed among all the inhabitants.

Workers exchange food

Unlike the Hymenoptera Amazons, termites have both males and females as workers, only underdeveloped ones. Termites generally have more opportunities for individual development than ants: they go through only three stages in development: larva-pupa-adult insect. The latter, once hatched, no longer grows or changes; it can only change its occupation. It’s the same with bees, they are generally all the same, and their “profession” changes depending on age. Termites are a different matter.

Termites are insects with incomplete metamorphosis. Here is a cockroach - it does not have any caterpillars, pupae, a tiny cockroach comes out of the egg, then molts - it becomes bigger, etc. Termites do the same.

And with each moult, termites that are initially identical change, and in different ways, depending on the pheromones secreted by the remaining termites, the nature of the food, etc. After the first moult, two types can already be distinguished: with large heads and with small ones.

After the second moult, there are already more varieties: in the large-headed ones, one can recognize future workers or future soldiers, who make up the majority of the permanent population of each nest, by the structure of the skull and mandibles. And among the small-headed ones, some, and the majority of them, will grow up to be long-winged males and females and, when the time comes, will fly to found new nests, others, there are relatively few of them, will also be males and females, but short-winged.

If the “queen” (or “king”) of the termite mound dies, the shortwings will begin to develop further and the luckiest of them will “take the throne” by starting to lay eggs, but if not, they will spend their entire lives as ordinary workers “with royal markings.” Then the next molt, after which the number of varieties increases again - as a result, about 30 morphologically are present in the family all the time different types creatures that are needed for different things.

The disadvantages of such specialization are obvious - ants are, in principle, interchangeable; if, say, foragers die in an anthill, they will be replaced by ants from other areas of work, having changed their profession. Termites don’t (their soldiers, for example, can’t even feed themselves), but given their numbers and fertility, this doesn’t really matter. Queens of termite mounds produce eggs almost all year round, breaks occur only during short rainy seasons, and they lay an egg every minute, in some species every ten to twenty seconds, and even every two to three seconds. Their abdomen, turning into a factory for the production of eggs, grows incredibly, becoming like a huge fat caterpillar, hundreds of times larger than the size of the working individuals.

If you look closely, at the front end of this worm you can see the remaining unchanged head and chest with the legs of a winged female, who once went on a mating flight and founded this nest. Now, let alone take off, she is not even capable of crawling, and even if she crawled, she would not be able to leave the brood chamber literally built around her. Working individuals carry food to the head in a continuous stream, and from the rear end they receive eggs. The sides of the queen also do not go unnoticed - they are massaged, licked, sniffed: in addition to the factory for the production of eggs, the queen is also a control center; the odor commands she secretes set the rhythm of the family’s life, determine the number and composition of transformations...

Unlike Hymenoptera drones, which die immediately after mating, the termite king stays next to his wife all his life, fertilizes her, increasing the genetic diversity of the nest, and with age becomes more and more “attached” to his spouse: if a young male, when opening the brood chamber to a curious scientist, hurries in fear hide (it does not grow much in size), then the old one more often remains with his wife until the end.

The main food of woodpeckers of all species is woody wood, soaked in saliva. Working termites feed exclusively on wood, which they can digest only with the help of the above-mentioned symbiotic bacteria in the intestines. Deprived of these bacteria, termites die. Moreover, with the help of bacteria, they can digest not fresh sawdust, but fermented sawdust with the help of symbiotic fungi, which decompose lignin. Fungi live inside termite mounds in special chambers and are not found anywhere else. It is here that termites carry dust into which they turn dead trunks and stems, and, on occasion, wooden buildings, furniture and books.

Termite mushroom gardens

Working individuals feed on “compost” - dust partially decomposed by fungal hyphae, and the queen and first-instar larvae are fed with small fruiting bodies of mushrooms. Interestingly, mushrooms do not reproduce with the help of small fruiting bodies; this is their “payment” for the symbiosis. And in order to get into other termite mounds, mushrooms in a certain season grow other, more familiar to us, fruiting bodies that grow through the wall of the termite mound. However, many species of termites do not rely on chance, and their males and females, when setting off on a mating flight, take pieces of mycelium with them.

Termite harvesting mushrooms

Outside the termite mound is a monolith, not a hole. Even to food sources, termites prefer to go underground or build covered tube galleries. Only termites living in the humid tropics dare to go out into the open world.

Lichen collection

Only once a year, most often after the first heavy warm rain, in several places on the dome workers gnaw small holes from the inside, two or three termites wide, and through them the population of the termite mound runs out - the craving for darkness is literally replaced by a desire for the termites for just a few minutes to light and dryness.

The winged males and females immediately take off on the first and last flight of their lives, which lasts from a few minutes to a few seconds; they even have special notches on their wings, along which they break off if the flight takes too long. Their search for partners begins only on the ground, unlike, again, ants who have weddings in the air.

But the base of the colony is similar to that of ants - a couple burrows into a hole, seals the entrance, and the female begins to lay eggs.

Until the first workers hatch and slowly begin to dig the ground and get food, the parents do not eat anything, living on the reserves of fat accumulated in their native nest and their own flight and jaw muscles - they will no longer need them. When caring for the laid eggs, the parents lick them, and they literally grow on the nutrients contained in the saliva.

And the rest, wingless termites, who ran out onto the dome, as if frightened by their sudden insanity, after a couple of minutes they again seek refuge in the cramped termite mound, sealing up the holes they had just made. Latecomers are not welcome: they serve as a distraction for many predators outside world, from praying mantises and dragonflies to birds and blacks flocking and flocking to a protein feast. After a short time, the holes are sealed, those remaining outside scatter or are eaten, and the termite mound again becomes an impregnable fortress, isolated from the outside world, with its own environment, like a settlement of colonists on a hostile planet.

What to do: for the majority of at least somewhat predatory creatures, one cockroach is an almost defenseless source of protein, a desirable prey. Many cockroaches in one place - a feast in the mountains. From the very beginning of collective life, termites had to learn to defend themselves. Particularly harsh years came for them in the middle Cretaceous period, when ants entered the arena of life, as if they had stolen the termite know-how of collectivism and turned it into evil (from the termite’s point of view, of course). After all, what is one wasp? A predatory, dangerous, poisonous creature that bites on both sides. Are there many wasps in one place? That's it.

To be continued

One of the popular “heroes” of action-packed American films and scientific series about the animal world is an interesting and dangerous wood eater that looks like an ant. Meet the termite. Despite its similarity to an ant, this insect is the closest relative of cockroaches, together with which it forms the order of cockroaches. In total, there are about 3 thousand species of termites, a significant part of which are pests that pose a threat not only to material property, but also to human health.

Where live

Where do termites live? These insects can be found in all natural areas except Antarctica. Most species prefer hot climates, and there are especially many termites in tropical forests. Only two species live in Russia, colonies of which are found in the Sochi and Vladivostok region.

How is the colony organized?

Termites form large families or colonies, within which there is a strict genetically determined hierarchy.

Each nest contains a productive female (queen), a male (king), soldiers, and most workers.

Each caste has external differences and performs its own duties.

Working caste

You can see the external differences between working termites in the photo. They differ from other castes in this way:

• small size;
• rounded head;
• short mustache;
• absence of large outgrowths on the oral apparatus.

Most termites have soft, light-colored bodies, although dark brown species are found in Africa. Insects spend more time underground or in wood, so they poor vision, some species are completely blind.

The duties of the working caste include:

• building a nest, digging tunnels;
• termite mound repair;
• obtaining and storing food;
• feeding the remaining castes;
• care for eggs and larvae.

Soldiers

Soldiers are the defenders of the nest from enemies. Representatives of this caste larger in size than working individuals, their body is covered with a strong chitinous shell, their heads are wide, and their mouthparts are equipped with powerful jaws. Tropical species have a special outgrowth on their heads, with the help of which insects squirt out liquid - upon contact with air, it thickens and turns into a sticky substance. In case of danger, termites use this secretion to immobilize enemies who have entered the termite mound. The soldiers are placed in narrow tunnels, blocking the entrance for uninvited guests, and in case of serious danger they unite and defend their nest.

King and queen

At the top of the hierarchy in a termite family are the fertile male and female, or king and queen. The female differs from her relatives primarily in her huge abdomen, reaching 10 cm in length. The queen can become so large that she loses the ability to feed and move independently. Therefore, it is fed and transported by workers. The female lives together with her “chosen one” in a special chamber in the central part of the termite mound.

The king is slightly larger than other termites. The male's role is only to stay near the female and mate with her regularly. The queen can live up to 15–20 years, and during this time the couple remains faithful to each other. The female lays several hundred eggs every day, and during the entire existence of the “wife” they give birth to several million young termites.

Replacement sexes

In addition to the king and queen, there are other reproductive individuals in the colony. They do not take part in the regeneration of an existing colony, but can create new families. To do this, females and males fly out of the termite mound, mate, after which they chew off their wings and begin to build nests. Not all reproductive termites get the chance to become the founders of new colonies: most insects die, becoming easy prey for birds, lizards, frogs and spiders. Some couples do not leave the nest, but remain there in case the queen dies.

How does a termite mound work?

A termite mound is a structure where termites live and breed. The nest consists of two parts: underground and aboveground, the height of which is several meters. Inside the termite mound is represented by many tunnels and rooms. Termite mounds are constructed from clay, dry plants, excrement and saliva of worker termites. Walls made of this composition have amazing strength and water resistance.

Termite nutrition

Termites are true vegetarians whose favorite food is wood. Insects cannot digest cellulose on their own, so they enter into symbiosis with bacteria. The latter live in the digestive tract of termites and break down fiber into simple, easily digestible carbohydrates. Only working individuals, on whom the lives of other castes depend, feed in this way.

Soldiers, due to their underdeveloped oral apparatus, are unable to chew plant foods. They are content with the excrement of worker termites or their secretions from the mouth. In the same way, workers feed the king, queen and larvae. In addition, the larvae can feed on small spores of moldy fungi.

Termites and humans

According to experts, termites occupy first place among dangerous pests and enemies of humans. Feeding on cellulose, insects destroy wooden houses, furniture, destroy books, securities and even money.

The domestic termite is an insidious enemy, it is difficult to notice, since it operates inside the walls of houses, leaving no traces on the outside.

In tropical countries, due to pest invasions, it is sometimes necessary to move entire settlements to another location.

But in the relationship between termites and humans, there is also a second side to the coin. Insects along with annelids fertilize and loosen the soil, increasing its fertility. For example, in Australia, record wheat harvests are achieved due to large quantity termite mounds in crop areas. In some countries, these insects are used in cooking: termites are fried, stewed in their own juice, seasonings and even bouillon cubes are made from them.

Termites: Video

Termites live in so-called communities, which reminds them of ants. People call them that - white ants. However, any family ties these insects do not, and termites themselves are by their nature close to cockroaches. What do they look like, what do they prefer to eat, and how is their nest - a termite mound - constructed? Let's find out!

Characteristic

Termites are insects with an incomplete life cycle that live in huge colonies. Each member of the so-called family belongs to a specific 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 humid places, their integument is always soft and light in color. Due to the predominantly underground lifestyle, the vision of these individuals is very poorly developed, some have no eyes at all. Representatives of this caste of termites have a rounded head and can also be recognized by their underdeveloped chest section.

On a note! However, sometimes the body color of worker termites can be quite dark. This depends on the species of insect. For example, South African species appear on the surface quite often, and therefore their integument has a dark brown tint!

The workers spend the main part of their lives caring for the young, as well as replenishing food supplies and taking an active part in the construction and regular repair of the termite mound. Plus, they feed soldier termites, since they have special structure heads and are unable to feed on their own.

Soldiers

These termites do not look like workers. Their head capsule is larger in size and has powerful jaws. Such a special mouthpart helps soldiers, if necessary, block narrow tunnel passages when attacked by other insects.

On a note! Soldier termites living in tropical regions have a special process on their heads, with which they inject a sticky secretion into the body of the enemy. After some time, this substance dries and immobilizes the victim!

Soldier termites begin to act after some damage has been caused to their nest. They crawl out and try to hold back the enemy’s onslaught, while the working individuals, meanwhile, repair the destroyed part of the termite mound. But at the same time, soldiers quite often die - the workers block all the passages and do not allow those remaining outside to take refuge in the anthill.

Queen and King

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

The king spends his entire life next to the female, while the size of his body is only slightly larger than the body length of ordinary soldiers. He mates exclusively with the female, after which he does not die, as is customary with ants.

Young animals

Young individuals, even after reaching the age of sexual maturity, remain in the “parental” nest. And they leave it only in the spring or early summer, when the swarming period begins.

Immediately after fertilization, both males and females chew off their wings, which makes them very vulnerable. For this reason, they quite often become prey for large insects and birds. The survivors build new nests.

But at the same time, several young couples always remain in the “parental” termite mound, which can subsequently take the place of the king and queen in the event of their death. Although this happens quite rarely.

Nutrition

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

On a note! About 200 species of protozoan organisms have been found in the gastrointestinal tract of the termite, which help process heavy food! In some cases, their numbers are so large 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 feed themselves; they feed everyone else:

• soldiers - they absorb oral secretions 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 fungal spores that are grown in a termite mound.

Nesting sites

Many species of termites live where they feed.

• Wood termites - if they find suitable wood, but it does not come into contact with the soil, for example, when the foundation of a building is made of stone, then the insects build covered passages along which they get to their destination. Construction material Clay is used for such covered galleries, and the termites coat the outer surfaces of the passages with a secretion that they themselves secrete. This substance helps maintain optimal humidity in the constructed passages.
• Termites living in savannas build anthills that are very similar in appearance to pyramids - such a termite mound can rise several meters above the ground and has a dome-shaped 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 tropical forests build their nests directly on trees. These termite mounds resemble multi-tiered umbrellas, the base of which is in contact with the soil, connecting to it through covered passages.
• The anthill of North Australian termites is wedge-shaped and is usually located on open area. Such a termite mound is somewhat flattened on the sides, with the narrow walls always oriented to the south and north, and the wide ones to the east and west.

One termite mound can house several hundred million insects. Construction always begins with the “order” of a pair of sexually mature termites that have recently left the “parental” nest. Over time, the newly-made king and queen give birth to a certain number of workers, who are engaged in the construction of the termite mound. And his appearance will depend on the species of insects and their habitat. But in most cases, an anthill consists of an above-ground part and an underground part. The first rises above the ground level, the second is a network of passages and rooms.

The termite mound always turns out to be quite strong and is often difficult to break. However, some nests can be very high. For example, in Zaire, a termite mound 12.8 m high was discovered. In its shade, large animals such as buffalos and even elephants could freely hide from the scorching sun!