Termites - unique pests - 21 photos

Lifestyle, nutrition

It can be quite difficult to see termites, since they do not like to crawl out into the light and are predominantly nocturnal.
Their movement occurs mainly in the passages they make underground or inside a tree. These numerous tunnels are a kind of connection between the chambers of one nest or several neighboring termite mounds. Thanks to such secrecy, it is too late to notice the damage caused by termites, when a wooden building becomes unusable due to the many holes and passages made by termites inside it. The main diet of termites is cellulose in any form and, in general, anything made from wood. They eat dry dust, plants with tree-like stems, cardboard, and paper. Even linen, wool and cotton fabrics, leather goods and felt can serve as an additional source of nutrition. But termites do not eat these materials so readily.

In nature, termites eat rotten stumps and trees (termites do not threaten living trees), dry stems of cereals, dead branches and fallen leaves. The intestines of these insects contain cellulose-degrading bacteria that break down wood and convert it into acetate. Further digestion is carried out by other protozoa, which also live in the intestines of termites. The resulting acetate and nitrogen are released by insects along with excrement and serve as fertilizer for forest soils.

The photo shows a dry tree eaten away by insects.

In winter, termites lose activity, but having taken root in heated wooden houses, they continue their activity all year round.

The size of a termite family can range from several tens to millions of individuals, and each of them has its own “job.”

Workers are responsible for feeding and caring for the offspring and the king and queen, storing food, developing the young, building and repairing the nest. They also feed the soldiers, whose huge jaws do not allow them to eat on their own, so the defenders feed only with the help of “servants.” In a word, working termites are a kind of “service department” that provides various services to the rest of the family members.

Soldiers are the defense of the colony. They protect the family from ants and other enemies, using their powerful mandibles or horn with poison. The action of the splashed poison, which dries in the air, has a paralytic effect, temporarily immobilizing the enemy’s ability to move. In the event of partial destruction of the nest by the enemy, the soldiers, with their large heads, plug the gaps in the narrow passages and remain in this position while the workers seal the hole. Often the soldiers themselves find themselves “walled up” and can no longer get out of the trap in which they find themselves while defending their nest.

Soldiers, in turn, also have their own “units”. Large individuals protect the nest (they are the ones who cover up damage to the nest with their heads), medium ones serve as a kind of rear for them, and small ones act as “controllers,” monitoring the workers, urging them on and punishing them if necessary. Among the termites there are soldiers and security and signaling services. Numerous guards vigilantly monitor whether the nest is in danger, and if an enemy appears, they give a signal to the “signalmen,” who, in turn, notify the main army about the threat. And then the termite fighters come out in orderly ranks to defend their home and their family.

Nutritional Features

The basis of the diet of many termite species is cellulose. The digestive system of working insects contains a special type of flagellated symbiont microorganisms that can destroy cellulose. It is the worker termites that feed the soldiers and the queen. Termites mainly feed on dead branches and tree stumps, fallen leaves, and humus. Some types of tropical termites feed on living plants, damaging tea bushes and cereals. But in one of the most progressive species, Termitidae, there are no symbionts and the mechanism of cellulose absorption in them is still unclear.

But it turned out that termites eat not only cellulose. They plant mushroom gardens where they grow a special type of mushroom. They drag pieces of wood and leaves into their nests. Everything is thoroughly crushed and mushroom spores are “planted.” This group of termites is classified as Macrotermitinae.

Fungal mycelium destroys inedible lignin, transforming it into a more easily digestible component. Termites eat old parts of gardens, ingesting mycelium, spores and food enriched with various nutrients. For larvae, gardens are the main source of food.

Termites

Interesting!

The famous A. Brem told his comrades how an Arab who had fallen asleep near a termite mound woke up completely naked - the termites had eaten all his clothes. At the end of the 18th century, termites were accidentally introduced to St. Helena Island and completely ate the city of Jamestown.

Termites that are found in the CIS are less “voracious”. But the enormous damage caused by the Ashgabat earthquake is due to the fact that 25% of the houses were damaged by termites, which led to their collapse.

Due to the fact that termites are very sensitive to temperature, humidity and sunlight, they rarely appear on the surface, gnawing tree trunks and logs of the house from the inside, leaving it completely intact on the outside. The annual damage caused by termites amounts to huge sums. Different types of termites build different nests not only in shape, but also in location.

Lifestyle

The number of termite colonies can reach several tens and even hundreds of millions of individuals. And they all need a home, which is a nest - a termite mound. Its approximate location is determined by a pair of sexually mature individuals that left the “parental home.” After the birth of the required number of working individuals, they begin to create a reliable shelter for the entire future colony.

Each type of termite has its own nests, most of which consist of 2 parts: above ground (in the form of a large elevation) and underground (representing a network of numerous tunnels and rooms). The main building material is a mixture of excrement of working termites, clay (in hot tropical countries) or crushed wood and saliva. This combination allows you to create very strong shelters that are very difficult to break. In addition, their walls are waterproof.

The size of some termite mounds is amazing. The height of their ground part can reach 8 meters! The record was recorded in Zaire. There the height of the termite mound was 12.8 meters. In the shadow of such giants, buffalos and other large animals, such as elephants, find refuge from the scorching sun. This part of the termite mound most often contains chambers with eggs, larvae and “mushroom gardens”, as well as an extensive network of ventilation tunnels.

There you can also find small “farms” that house animals that carry out various symbioses with termites. Scientifically, these animals are called termitophiles. Their role can be played by various insects, for example, the termitoxenia fly. They secrete special substances for termites, which they lick with great pleasure, and termitophiles, in turn, receive a favorable microclimate and a rich source of food.

In the tropics, where there is high humidity and it often rains, termite mounds are located not underground, but on trees. In arid places, for example, in Central Asia, the Trans-Caspian termite creates nests that go to a depth of 12 meters, while on the surface there is no sign of a termite mound in this place.

Termite mound on a tree

[edit] Termites and humans

Many termites cause enormous economic damage: they destroy wooden buildings, paper products (books, etc.), etc. It is necessary to use special protective materials, as well as treat infested houses with insecticides.

On the other hand, termites, due to their role in the biocenosis, are able to increase productivity in regions with a dry and hot climate where there are no earthworms [10]; for example, in experiments in Australia they increase wheat yield by 36%. Indeed, the formation of soil in the tropics, the mixing of its layers, and the circulation of substances in the tropical forest are processes in which termites take an active part. In most cases, termites feed only on dead wood and in virgin forests they largely determine the fertility of the soil.

By eating dry grass and branches, termites to some extent prevent the occurrence and spread of fires.

In some backward and underdeveloped countries, winged termites are used by humans as food.

Reproduction

The king and queen are responsible for reproduction in the termite mound. Their pair is inseparable, they do not change partners and even live their entire lives together in one very durable chamber (unlike ants, the termite king does not die after mating). Moreover, none of the other family members has any right to “covet” the queen. The royal couple is constantly under reliable guard of soldiers, changing their post at regular intervals.

Being almost constantly in a state of “pregnancy”, the uterus, swollen and enlarged 10 times, filled with many eggs, is unable to move due to the heaviness that it carries within itself. And here the same workers come to the rescue, delivering food to her, carrying her, licking the mucus secreted by the queen from the abdomen, and every few seconds moving the hatched eggs into special numerous chambers for storage and further hatching. The queen is incredibly fertile: she can lay up to 3,000 eggs per day alone. The main female lives for about 10 years, managing to give birth to millions of offspring. During this time, many family members die (especially soldiers), but the queen not only makes up for the losses, but also exaggerates the number of individuals in the colony.

But besides the king and queen, there are other individuals in the nest that are capable of producing offspring. Until they reach sexual maturity, they live in the nest where they were once born. At the end of spring - beginning of summer, the swarming period begins; winged young individuals create pairs and fly away from the parental home. This is the only time they will need wings: immediately after mating, the future “parents” shed them. Left without wings, these termites become absolutely defenseless against all kinds of enemies - spiders, birds, etc. Therefore, they are forced to temporarily hide. Those couples that managed to survive create their own nest and become the king and queen in it. With the appearance of the first working individuals, the construction of a new termite mound begins.

Benefit or harm?

In nature, termites function as recyclers of plant residues. They also play an important role in the formation and mixing of soil layers. Few other animals are capable of performing such functions, especially in the tropics. To restore justice, it must be said that these insects feed on dead wood and only in extreme cases attack healthy trees.

But when a person encounters termites, war cannot be avoided. In tropical countries, these insects are dangerous pests that destroy wooden buildings. There are known cases of collapse of houses attacked by termites. They chew out all wooden floors, furniture, in general, everything that is made of wood. They won't give up books either. For example, in South America it is now difficult to find a book that is more than 50 years old. In Southeast Asian countries, sometimes small towns and cities had to be relocated due to termite infestations.

Tree affected by termites

Spotting a termite attack is not easy. The fact is that they gnaw only the internal contents, leaving the outer shell intact. They can handle not only wood, but even metal. Here's an example. Not long ago, the news reported that in one of the Indian banks, termites managed to get into one of the bank's safe deposit boxes and chew up a decent amount of money and securities.

This is not an isolated incident. A similar thing happened in 2008, when a certain Dwarik Prasad discovered only dust from money and securities in his safe deposit box.

How is this possible? Most likely, we will find the answer to this question in a short excerpt from Nikolai Kozlov’s book “The Life of Termites”: “...They drill through the wax and tin caps that crown the bottles to get to the corks. They approach the tin of cans scientifically: first they erase the layer of tin covering it, then they smear the exposed tin with a special juice, which makes it rust, after which they can easily drill through it...”

To combat termites, special services have been created; they are poisoned with the strongest poisons. In a word, a real war is being waged with them, but it remains to be seen who will emerge victorious.

Colony structure and behavior

Polymorphism among termites A

— Ruling King
B
— Ruling Queen
C
— Second Queen
D
— Third Queen
E
— Soldiers
F
— Worker

Like all social insects, termites live in colonies, the number of mature individuals in which can range from several hundred to several million and consist of castes. A typical colony consists of larvae (nymphs), workers, soldiers and reproductive individuals. Termite construction - termite mound. Unlike ants, in the most evolutionarily advanced species of termites, caste affiliation is determined genetically. In more primitive species, the caste of an individual depends on what other termites feed it during the development period and what pheromones they release.

2.1. Reproductive individuals

Among the reproductive individuals in the nest, the king and queen are distinguished. These are individuals that have already lost their wings and, sometimes, eyes and perform reproductive functions in the nest. A queen that has reached maturity can lay several thousand eggs a day, turning into a kind of “egg factory.” In this state, her chest and especially her abdomen increase, making the queen several dozen times larger than any worker (10 cm or more). Due to her giant abdomen, the queen loses the ability to move independently, so when it becomes necessary to move her to another chamber of the colony, hundreds of workers band together to move her. On the surface of the queen's body, special pheromones are released, licked by workers, which contribute to the unification of the colony. In some species, these pheromones turn out to be so attractive to workers that they bite into the queen’s abdomen with their mandibles (however, this extremely rarely leads to her death).

The queen chamber contains the king, which is only slightly larger than a worker termite. He continues to mate with the female throughout his life, unlike, for example, ants, in which the males die immediately after mating, and the sperm is stored inside the queen (uterus) in the epididymis.

Winged termites

The remaining reproductive individuals have wings and serve to create new colonies. At a certain time of the year, they fly out of the nest and mate in the air, after which the male and female, descending to the ground, gnaw off their wings and together establish a new colony. In some species of termites, immature reproductive individuals form a subcaste, designed to replace the king and queen if they die. However, this happens extremely rarely.

2.2. Workers

Unlike ants, among termite workers and soldiers there are equal numbers of females and males. Worker termites are engaged in foraging, storing food, caring for offspring, building and repairing the colony. Workers are the only caste capable of digesting cellulose, thanks to special intestinal symbiont microorganisms. They are the ones who feed all the other termites. The colonies also owe their impressive characteristics to the workers.

Termite colony (termite mound)

The walls of the colony are built from a combination of excrement, shredded wood and saliva. Some species create structures so strong that even cars break when trying to destroy them. The size of the colonies of some African termite mounds is such that elephants hide in their shadows. The nest provides space for growing fungal gardens, keeping eggs and young larvae, reproductive individuals, as well as an extensive network of ventilation tunnels that allow maintaining an almost constant microclimate inside the termite mound. In addition, sometimes there are also rooms for termitophiles - animals that coexist with termites in symbiosis.

2.3. Soldiers

Soldiers are a special caste of worker individuals that have anatomical and behavioral specializations, primarily against ant attacks. Many have jaws so enlarged that they are unable to feed on their own. Soldiers of the tropical species of rhinoceros termites have a special growth on the head through which they shoot a protective liquid. Tree-boring termites usually have wide heads that allow them to block narrow tunnels and prevent the enemy from further entering the nest. When the integrity of the walls of a termite mound is compromised and the situation is such that it requires the intervention of more than one soldier, the soldiers form a defensive formation resembling a phalanx and begin to randomly attack their prey while workers seal the hole. As a rule, the phalanx itself subsequently becomes a victim, since after the restoration of the termite mound wall it is deprived of the opportunity to return to the termite mound.

Photos and descriptions of species

What termites look like depends on their species, their habitat, and the place they occupy in the colony's caste system. Photos and descriptions of different species will be slightly different in each case, but for termites living within the countries of the former USSR, common external features can be identified.

• Termites range in size from 4 millimeters to 1.3 centimeters.
• The body visually consists of two parts - a large round head with long mustaches and an elongated teardrop-shaped body with a blunt end.
• Worker caste termites have soft white bodies and resemble larvae in the final stages of development.
• Soldier termites are dark brown in color and have large heads topped with two massive mandible claws, which they use to defend the colony.
• Termite kings and queens look like fat larvae with the head of an adult insect and are busy only with reproducing the colony inside the nest.
• Reproductive individuals have rigid bodies, can be almost black in color, and at a certain point in time acquire wings in order to establish a new colony during flight.

Today, science knows a little more than 3 thousand species of termites, only 3 of which are found in Russia.

Yellow-necked termite

• The Latin name of the species (scientific) is Kalotermes flavicollis.
• Alternative names are yellow-breasted termite, yellow-whiskered termite, and yellow-necked wood termite.
• In Russia it is found on the Black Sea coast near Sochi and further south along the coast.
• They usually live in rotten and drying wood, tree hollows and stumps in colonies of several hundred to 2 thousand individuals.
• They can settle in wooden houses and buildings if the condition of the wood meets the needs of termites.
• Flight occurs in July-September.

Far Eastern termite

• The Latin name of the species is Reticulitermes speratus.
• He's a Japanese termite.
• In Russia, it is sometimes found in the Vladivostok area, which is why it got its Russian-language name.
• Most often found in areas adjacent to the port, indicating that the insects mainly enter the city along with cargo from China, Japan and other countries that are the natural habitat for this species.
• They settle in fallen trees, stumps, wooden buildings, rubble of boards; the nest is partly located inside the wood, partly in the soil.
• The flight period is May-July.

Photophobic termite

• Latin name: Reticulitermes lucifugus.
• Also called European termite, pest termite.
• In Russia, it lives in the area between the Black and Caspian seas, Volgograd and the North Caucasus.
• Nests are made in the ground at a depth of up to half a meter, under the roots of stumps, bushes, trees and grasses; they often settle in greenhouses.
• Under favorable conditions, several termite colonies living nearby can create the appearance of one, creating gigantic termite mounds.
• Flight begins in April and ends at the end of May.

According to currently available data, termites are not found in Moscow and the Moscow region. If you find a termite-like insect, it either accidentally came into your home - along with food from the region where it is found, or in your luggage after a vacation, or, more likely, you are confusing it with some other insect. If you absolutely need to accurately identify the type of insect, you can catch it and submit it alive at your own expense for analysis at the Moscow Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology or its branches.

Recommended Links

What types of ants can live in your home, where do they come from, why are they dangerous, and what to do if you find them in your apartment?

Reproduction and development cycle

The queen termite mates with the king many times throughout her long life. During the summer season, workers make cracks in the walls through which only 2-3 insects can squeeze through at a time. Travelers describe the flight of winged insects as termite “smoke” that rises above structures.

“Princesses” attract their future kings with the secretion of their abdominal glands. The pair then “digs” a hole, the entrance to which is sealed. It is in such a “royal” chamber that mating takes place. In lower species, the female lays hundreds, rarely thousands, of eggs per week.

But there are species whose queens are astonishingly fertile. In odontothermis obesus, the female lays up to 86,000 eggs per day. The queen macrotermis lays more than 10 million eggs per year. Termites in the photo surround the queen.

Termite Queen

The worker insects feed and care for it, remove the eggs, collect droplets of secretion from the abdomen, and the soldiers guard it.

Workers and soldiers are essentially underdeveloped individuals, “frozen” at the larval stage. They do not develop a reproductive system. The secretion secreted by the queen prevents all termites from turning into insects capable of reproduction. As the queen ages, the amount of secretion decreases and, under certain conditions, worker termites can begin to reproduce.

Larvae emerge from fertilized eggs:

• in workers and soldiers, after molting, the larva becomes an adult insect;
• after the second molt, separation occurs into the next larval stage or nymph;
• the nymph is larger than the larva and has wing rudiments on the thoracic segments;
• before becoming an adult, the larva goes through 3 to 4 molting cycles;
• There are several instars for nymphs; at the end of the transformations, the insect grows long wings.

Termite workers

Working termites feed the larvae with the secretions of their salivary glands or crushed spores of fungi that they grow on their plantations. Termite reproduction occurs through fertilization, but in the absence of males, females can reproduce asexually (parthenogenetically). All born individuals are females.

It is also surprising that under certain conditions, worker termites can also reproduce. They need a long period of time to transform into a reproductive species - 30-40 days. They are called ergatoids. Scientists in laboratory conditions crossed ergatoids with nymphs and ergatoids. The percentage of castes differed among the offspring.

The table shows the results of the experiments:

This diversity is explained by the diploidity of male and female termites. While the colony is developing, no winged individuals are formed. Energy is spent on the production of workers who build, care for, and clean.

Termites

The dry-wood and wet-wood orders of termites are characterized by the absence of adult worker termites. Their role is played by pseudoergates. This group of termites is also called “false” workers. The larvae molt for a long time, remaining working individuals. But it happens that after some time the pseudo-ergat becomes a soldier.

Appearance

Let's look at what termites look like using representatives of different castes as an example. Working insects have:

• light color;
• body covered with a soft chitinous shell;
• underdeveloped thoracic region;
• a large head equipped with powerful mandibles.

Their body length ranges from 2 mm to 1.5 cm. The eyes of workers and soldiers are poorly developed or absent. On the head there are thread-like antennae with a large number of segments. Their length is used to judge the age of the insect.

The size of termites varies depending on which caste the individual belongs to. If the workers are quite small, then the termite soldiers have a large (2 cm) body and a large head with such powerful mandibles that they are not able to feed on their own and are fed by worker termites. In some species, the mandibles are reduced, but there is a growth on the head, from which the big-nosed soldier “shoots” a repellent secretion from special glands at the enemy.

Termites

Winged termites have two pairs of compound eyes and two simple ocelli. They are distinguished from others by the presence of wings, which after the dispersal summer the insect breaks off along a special seam. The wings (there are 2 pairs of them) are large, but weak, and insects more often “glide” than fly. Winged termites can mate and reproduce. Workers and soldiers are deprived of this opportunity, since they lack gonads.

Interesting!

Winged “princes” and “princesses” can replace the dead king or queen. During the summer, they are carried far away by air currents and form colonies far from their native termite mound. At first, the “royal people” cope with everything on their own - they dig a shelter, take care of the egg laying, and feed the larvae. But as soon as the “children” grow up and are divided into soldiers and workers, they take care of the “parents”.

The king and queen differ in size. The termite queen in evolutionarily advanced species is 10 times larger in size than worker insects and is very similar to the queen ant. The huge number of eggs produced stretches the abdomen so much that the female cannot move on her own. If necessary, dozens of worker ants transfer it to another chamber.

In primitive species, the queen is slightly larger than representatives of other castes. The queen termite lives 10-20 years. Scientists believe that special enzymes with antioxidant properties are responsible for this “longevity.”

The size of the “king” does not exceed the size of working insects. He is constantly in the same chamber with the queen and the main function of the male is to fertilize the female.

Representatives of the rhinotermitid family have a frontal pore or fontanelle on their heads, from which members of this termite family release alarm pheromones, informing the other inhabitants of the nest about danger. Some types of soldiers also have the same pore, but containing a drop of poison. By “butting” the enemy’s head, the defender applies poison to the surface, paralyzing the aggressor.

Termites

Different species of termites have their own ratio of workers to soldiers. Usually the number of soldiers in a termite mound does not exceed 3%. But the network is species that do not have soldiers at all or their share is 12-15%. Japanese scientists have found that, unlike other species of insects that have a social organization, in the termite family the X chromosome gene is responsible for dimorphism. It is he who determines who the larva will become in the future. But this feature is characteristic of advanced species. In primitive species, what an individual will become in the future is determined by nutrition and special pheromones.

Like any insect, the termite has three pairs of running legs. The color of insects can vary even within the same termite mound. Inside the complex system of passages there are “multi-colored” insects - from whitish to dark brown.

About nests

The nests of these insects have different structures, locations and sizes. They can be located underground and communicate with each other thanks to many tunnels, reminiscent of huge galleries. Sometimes termite mounds rise in the form of gloomy pillar-like structures on the surface of the earth.

In the north of Australia, termites have built nests that look like gravestones, rising 3 m above the ground. It is noteworthy that many of these termite mounds are built according to the same principle: their narrower edges are directed strictly to the south and north. This is how termites carry out climate control inside the home, as if taking into account the daytime heat and nighttime coolness of those places.

The nest is built by workers from a clay-like mass obtained by mixing their own excrement and saliva with soil and wood. The walls of such a termite mound are quite dense, and in order to destroy it, the enemy will need some effort. The size of the nest directly depends on how numerous the colony currently lives in it.

Inside any type of nest, countless chambers are built for storing food supplies and the development and growth of offspring. The most reliable chamber was rightfully given to the royal couple, who were responsible for adding to the family.

Termite nests

Termite nests, their appearance and location depend on the type of termite.
The largest nests that grow from the ground upward are built by African termites of the species Macrotermes bellicosus. Their structure can reach up to 13 meters in length and be 30 meters in diameter at the base. Smaller species of termites build less massive structures for themselves; they look more like cones or small mounds in the ground.

At the same time, termites themselves can make nests from clay, self-processed cellulose, use rotten drying stumps and fallen trees for this, or dig termite mound tunnels in the ground, combining them with the woody part of the nest.

By its nature, the termite is not a parasite, but for humans it is such if they use houses for their homes.

If this happens, then these pests can be found in warm and damp areas.

• Pipes and taps that leak slightly;
• Bathroom;
• Basement, if the air temperature there is above 0;
• Under the floor;
• In the attic;
• At the bottom of wooden walls and coverings;
• Under the sink;
• In the gazebo, on the terrace and in the woodshed.

If you have a garden plot, you can find termites in a greenhouse.

Natural enemies of termites

Photo: Animal termite

Termites are consumed by a wide variety of predators. For example, the termite species Hodotermes mossambicus was found in the stomachs of 65 birds and 19 mammals. Many arthropods feed on termites: ants, centipedes, cockroaches, crickets, dragonflies, scorpions and spiders; reptiles such as lizards; amphibians such as frogs and toads. There are also many other animals that eat termites: aardvarks, anteaters, bats, bears, a large number of birds, echidnas, foxes, mice and pangolins. Fun fact: The aardwolf is capable of eating thousands of termites in one night using its long, sticky tongue.

Ants are the biggest enemy of termites. Some genera of ants specialize in hunting termites. For example, Megaponera is an exclusively termite-eating species. They carry out raids, some of which last for several hours. But ants aren't the only invertebrates that raid. Many sphecoid wasps, including Polistinae Lepeletier and Angiopolybia Araujo, are known to raid termite mounds during the termite mating flight.

What do termites eat?

Photo: Termite animal

Termites are detritivores that consume dead plants at any level of decomposition. They also play a vital role in the ecosystem by processing waste such as dead wood, feces and plants. Many species eat cellulose, having a specialized midgut that breaks down the fiber. When termites break down cellulose, they produce methane, which is released into the atmosphere.

Termites rely primarily on symbiotic protozoans (metamonas) and other microbes such as flagellated protists in their guts to digest cellulose, allowing them to absorb the end products for their own use. Intestinal protozoa, such as Trichonympha, in turn rely on symbiotic bacteria embedded on their surface to produce some of the necessary digestive enzymes.

Most higher termites, especially those in the family Termitidae, can produce their own cellulose enzymes, but they rely primarily on bacteria. Flagella have been lost in these termites. Scientists' understanding of the relationship between the termite digestive tract and microbial endosymbionts is still in its infancy; however, what is true of all termite species is that workers feed other members of the colony with substances derived from the digestion of plant material from the mouth or anus.

Some termite species practice fungiculture. They support a "garden" of specialized fungi of the genus Termitomyces, which feed on insect excrement. When the mushrooms are eaten, their spores pass intact through the termite intestines to complete the cycle, germinating in fresh fecal pellets.

Depending on their feeding habits, termites are divided into two groups: lower termites and higher termites. Lower termites primarily feed on wood. Since wood is difficult to digest, termites prefer to eat wood infested with fungi because it is easier to digest and fungi are high in protein. Meanwhile, higher termites consume a wide range of materials, including feces, humus, grass, leaves and roots. The gut in lower termites contains many species of bacteria along with protozoa, while higher termites have only a few species of bacteria without protozoa.

Far Eastern termite

• Its Latin name is Reticulitermes speratus.
• It is also called Japanese termite.
• From the name it is clear where termites can be found in Russia - in the Vladivostok region.
• Usually, this species can be found on the territory of ports, so it is clear where they come from into Russia (with cargo from China, Japan, where their habitat is familiar).
• They prefer to live in fallen trees, stumps, wooden buildings, rubble of boards, nest, sometimes you can find this species in the soil.
• Flight period – May – July.

Data

1. Rich in iron, calcium, fats, amino acids as well as proteins, making them a very nutritious food. Many cultures use them as food or medicine for diseases. In Singapore, queens are eaten live or as an alcoholic infusion.

Macu Hindus eat them when there is a shortage of food due to drought. Residents of the Amazon make soup from boiled insects, pests in sugar are consumed for whooping cough, and inhale the smoke of burning nests to get rid of the flu.

2. Termites never sleep. They build their colonies 24 hours a day, every day, until they die.

3. The largest colony in history contained more than three million individuals.

4. Ants are the main competitors and predators. From time to time, termites and ant colonies living next to each other enter into a war over territory and access to food.

These "wars" consist of organized invasions carried out by castes of soldiers of both species. If you have ants in your yard, it is unlikely that a termite colony will develop. Of course, they bring their own problems; you probably don't want them in your home. But if you meet a few friendly insects, feel joy - they are on your side in the fight against the pest.

Photophobic termite

• In Latin it has a name - Reticulitermes lucifugus.
• An alternative name is European termite.
• On the territory of Russia it can be found both in the Caucasus and Volgograd, and on the Black and Caspian seas.
• Nests are made in the ground at a depth of up to half a meter, under the roots of stumps, bushes, trees and grasses; they often settle in greenhouses.
• Flight period: April – May.

If you suddenly find a termite in an apartment or house, as you think, then there are two options for the development of events:

1. Either it came to you with the groceries you brought from the store, or after a vacation along with your luggage.
2. Or you may have confused a termite with another insect. To find out exactly who you found, you can take the pest to the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology to clarify the origin of the individual.

Polymorphism among termites>

A - Ruling King B - Ruling Queen C - Second Queen D - Third Queen E - Soldiers F - Worker

Founding of the colony

New colonies are founded by winged males and females. In the tropics this usually occurs at the beginning of the rainy season. They fly out of the parent nest in a swarm through exits made by workers or nymphs. Having flown from several to several hundred meters, they land, shed their wings and form pairs. The female attracts the male with the volatile secretion of the abdominal gland, after which he follows her, together they dig a hole, seal the entrance to it and mate inside. A few days later the first eggs are laid. The parents feed the nymphs that hatch from them, and after molting several times, they become workers or soldiers. Winged individuals will appear in the colony only when it “ripes”, i.e. will become densely populated - usually in two to three years. Formed workers take upon themselves all further care of obtaining food and building a nest.

Termite nests

Termite nests vary in complexity from simple burrows in trees or soil to high, network-riddled structures (termite mounds) on the surface of the ground. Usually one - the royal - chamber is occupied by sexual individuals - the king and the queen, and several smaller ones contain eggs and developing nymphs. Sometimes food warehouses are set up in some chambers, and in the nests of Macrotermitinae special large cavities are reserved for mushroom gardens. In the rainy tropics, termite mounds are sometimes topped with umbrella-shaped roofs or, if they are on tree trunks, covered on top with specially constructed canopies that protect them from water. The underground nests of the genus Apicotermes in Africa are equipped with a complex ventilation system, the features of which can be used to judge the evolutionary relationships of the species of this group.

The shape of termite mounds reflects the behavioral characteristics of their creators. The nest is built by workers from soil, wood, their own saliva and excrement. The similarity of nests of different colonies of the same species is explained by the genetic commonality of reproductive individuals, i.e. the same innate instincts. Imitation and learning have not been found in termites. The species-specific nature of nests is obvious in many cases, and in different species of the same genus one can also notice general genus features of termite mounds. Thus, the cultivation of “mushroom gardens” is characteristic of all representatives of the entire subfamily, which unites 10 genera with 277 species, although during the evolutionary divergence of these taxa, differences between their “gardens” also appeared.

There are more than 2,800 species of termites in the world, and only 10% of them are pests to human habitats. On the territory of the CIS (former USSR) there are 7 species of termites, 4 of which, including the Turkestan termite (Anacanthotermes turkestanicus) and the large Transcaspian termite (Anacanthotermes ahngerianus), cause significant damage to the national economy.

Origin of social termites.

Termites evolved from ancient cockroaches, perhaps at the end or beginning of the Paleozoic. The modern cockroach Cryptocerus punctulatus, native to the Allegheny Mountains and Oregon and Washington, feeds on dead wood, harbors symbiotic protozoa similar to those found in termites in its hindgut, and lives in family groups consisting of parents and young at various stages of development. The species is thought to be similar to the putative ancestors of termites. The most important step forward in their evolution was the inter-caste division of labor. The first specialized sterile caste were soldiers, and in more advanced taxa adult sterile workers also appeared. The oldest known termite remains date back to the Permian period, but there is some debate as to their age. Among Eocene fossils, representatives of evolutionarily advanced modern genera are already known. For example, in the Eocene and Oligocene deposits of Europe and the Oligocene layers of Colorado, winged individuals of the genus Reticulitermes leading an underground lifestyle were discovered. This genus now includes the largest number of termites of the temperate zone of Eurasia and North America and belongs to the family Rhinotermitidae, which is only slightly more primitive than the youngest family Termitidae.

Judging by indirect evidence, namely geographical distribution, many modern termite genera arose during the Cretaceous period. If soil-dwelling insects are not found outside the tropics, but are present in Australia, Madagascar, the African continent, Asia, and Central and South America, there is only one explanation - they settled into different regions when they were parts of a single landmass or were very close to each other, i.e. no later than the Cretaceous period. Such an area is characteristic of some genera of the most evolutionarily advanced subfamilies.

In the nests of progressive termite taxa, especially from the families Rhinotermitidae and Termitidae, approximately 500 species of termitophilous insects have been found, i.e. as if it was “taking root.” The most specialized termitophiles have a swollen abdomen, equipped with special glands. They secrete substances that are licked off by their host termites, who in exchange feed them regurgitated food, care for their eggs and larvae, and in case of danger can even take some of their “guests” to a safe place. Termitophiles have appeared in several free-living groups of insects, including borerbugs (Aradidae), humpback flies (Phoridae), scarabaeidae, little beetles (Histeridae), and rove beetles (Staphylinidae). Indirect evidence suggests a long history of coevolution between termites and termitophiles.

See also INSECTS.

Human interaction

Due to their feeding habits, termites have become a real scourge on wooden buildings in some regions. Their secrecy and tactics of eating wood, in which its surface appears completely undamaged, are the reason for their late detection. There is also concern about termites accidentally entering apartments, due to which their range is expanding into those regions where they cannot live openly due to the climate. Once in a home, termites are not limited to wood: anything that has a high proportion of cellulose serves as potential food. The consequences of this are sometimes catastrophic (for example, in South America, due to the constant presence of termites in cities, it is rare to find a book older than 50 years).

Termites try not to come into contact with air, since their cuticle is very thin and does not retain moisture. If they need to cross open space, they build shelter tunnels from compressed earth and excrement.

Basic precautions against termites:

• Eliminate contact of wood with the ground, use a concrete foundation or steel base. Even in this case, termites are able to reach the tree through tunnels; in addition, there are cases when they used water pipes for this purpose.
• Wood processing
• Using wood that is resistant to certain types of termites

If termites have already entered the building, they are removed with insecticides. Another common method is to spray arsenic trioxide, a slow-acting poison used in Australia since the 1930s. The poison will be distributed among the individuals of the colony before changes are visible, which favors the destruction of the entire colony.

Where do termites live?

Termites are not able to tolerate negative temperatures and survive the winter, therefore they are distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical climates, while their habitats are divided between different species. The largest number of termite species can be found in Africa (about 1000), Asia (about 435), South America (about 400) and Australia (360). The fewest termite species live in North America (no more than 50) and Europe (about 10). In the countries of the former USSR there are 7 species, in Russia there are only 3, and that is a stretch, since the position of the Far Eastern termite in Vladivostok cannot be called stable. The only place on the planet where termites do not live is Antarctica.

Behavioral differences

Both interact with the tree, but in different ways. For example, termites eat the wood in which they nest. Carpenter ants simply chew wood for the colony. They don't eat it, they just push it out through the openings of the galleries. Therefore, if you see small piles of wood shavings (insect waste) under the holes, these are ants or borers.

Ants look for damp, damaged wood to dig a nest. Termites eat healthy wood.

Another obvious difference is how the wooden tunnels look. The tunnels and carpenters' galleries are smooth. Termite galleries are rough and uneven because they are filled with layers of soil and dirt.

A mud tube indicates the presence of termites. Built outside the walls, between the ground and the tree, they serve as passages.

Classification

Traditionally, there have been 7 families of termites. Then Stolotermitidae

,
Stylotermitidae
and
Archeorhinotermitidae
(Engel & Krishna, 2004).
In 2009, two more families were recognized: Cratomastotermitidae
and
Archotermopsidae
(Engel, Grimaldi & Krishna, 2009).

• Mastotermitidae
• Hodotermitidae
• Kalotermitidae
• Termopsidae
• Rhinotermitidae
• Serritermitidae
• Termitidae

termites ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

Occurrence

The soldier caste is noted in many species of ants and termites and some other animals.

Termites

Termite soldiers are known to come in the most unimaginable forms. Soldiers' mandibles are long, triangular, asymmetrical, thick, thin, horn-shaped, and crossed. Soldiers of some species produce glue that is sprayed on the enemy, or poison that is applied to the enemy by hitting him with his head. The design of the weapons and the methods of their use indicate that termite soldiers are unsuitable for offense and are effective only for defense. Some species of termites can only be identified by their soldiers.

Ants

Some ant soldiers have forgotten how to feed without outside help. This applies in particular to large soldier ants and some social parasites such as Amazon ants.

Other insects

In the bee Tetragonisca angustula

individual soldiers differ from workers in being larger in size.

Glyptapanteles wasps

Special eggs act as soldiers, controlling the behavior of the host so that it protects the parasite pupae.

In some aphids: Tuberaphis styraci

,
Pemphigus spyrothecae
and
Pemphigus spyrothecae
.

Other fauna

Naked mole rats live in eusocial colonies, in which the largest non-breeding individuals are soldiers who defend the colony from other clans and from predators.

Trematodes are parasites from a type of flatworm - one of the species of the genus Himasthla

are divided into larger queens, capable of reproducing, and more mobile soldiers, protecting the colony from enemy invaders.

Some individuals in bryozoan colonies have a defensive function, protecting the colony from predators.

Sea anemone Anthopleura elegantissima

in a suitable place, it forms a colony by budding, the outer members of which are soldiers and protect the territory from competitors - they are smaller than their relatives and they do not have gonads.

Bacteria

Some species of bacteria have the ability to self-sacrifice. For example, if a colony of another competing bacterium appears next to a colony of E. coli, then one E. coli out of every few thousand begins to produce a substance that is toxic to the other bacterium and dies from self-poisoning. The amount of poison released depends on where the bacterium is located. For example, when the intestines are infected with the bacterium Salmonella typhimurium

only 15% of individuals located in the intestinal lumen secrete poison, and almost all of those located on the intestinal walls.

Viruses

When other viruses are cultivated in the same cell with some viruses, for example HIV, i.e. in a mixed population, “minimal forms” appear in the virus population, differing from the usual virus in size (they are 2-3 times smaller) and in an incomplete genome . Perhaps they are needed to suppress competitors.

What danger do termites pose to homes?

The fungus carried by termites is dangerous not only for the owners of the building, but also for the structure itself.
Since pests live inside materials, they plant mold spores deep inside the wood. It is almost impossible to remove mold from there and over time the material becomes unusable. The problem is that termites are quite difficult to detect. This can only be done during the summer period. And if you have a whole colony of termites living in your building, then the damage they will cause to the wood will be significant, especially if you do not know about the existence of termites in your house for a long time.

The presence of these insects in your home is indicated by the following factors:

• Scattered wings on the floor;
• Slightly visible holes in wood and drywall;
• Mounds on the floor.

At the same time, all of these factors may indicate that other insects may be living in your home.
The important thing here is to understand how to identify a termite. And this is written above. If your suspicions are confirmed and termites actually live in your house, then do not take any action on your own. Contact a company that specializes in termite removal and talk to experts in the field.

Morphology

As a rule, they differ from other working individuals in their larger size and more developed innate means of destruction, functionally designed to inflict damage on the enemy (in relation to ants and other insects - larger and more powerful jaws). These differences can be either absolute or proportional (strongly enlarged mandibles and hypertrophied heads, for example in ants of the genus Pheidole

and
Pheidologeton
).
In families of ants such as Pheidole
, along with major soldiers, even larger (up to 10x in length and up to 500x in weight) super-major soldiers appear.

Soldiers of some termites of the family Termitidae

(in the subfamily
Nasutitermitinae
) have heads with a long projection ("nose") for chemical spraying of substances that repel enemies (ants and other predators).

External polymorphism may be due to intraspecific genetic differences. On the other hand, polymorphism is possible, in which organisms with an almost identical genome, depending on external conditions, acquire different phenotypic forms.

How to detect termites?

So now we know some information about termites. Now, you need to learn how to investigate their possible presence in your home. Let us remember that termites eat all wood and everything made from it: books, wooden tools, wooden floors, wooden window sills, railings, ornamental plants with wood elements, and the like.

Termites can be identified in the following ways:

1. View wooden products or materials for building your home. In some places, you can see small round holes.

2. In some places, under wooden products you can see small piles of ground wood.

3. Check for tiny tan, reddish brown, or black droppings anywhere.

4. Tap the screwdriver handle on the wood. If you hear sounds characteristic of voids, then the termites inside have already created a home for themselves.

5. If possible, you can use a thermal imager, which, in the presence of termites, will show heat generation inside the tree.

6. Examine the inside and outside of the foundation walls for underground passages. Earthen termites live in the soil near sources of moisture, but they come to wooden structures to feed, building underground passages from their home for this purpose.

7. Check whether the wooden frame of the house is damaged at the first floor level, especially at the junction of walls and foundation, as well as under the front door. First, carefully inspect everything with a flashlight. But from the outside the damage may not be noticeable. Therefore, tap the wood with the handle of a large screwdriver and use a large awl to look for voids in it.

8. Call specialists to find and destroy termites.

Important! Termites do not tolerate light, so when searching for them, you need to give preference to darkened areas of your home, where daylight exposure is minimized

Yellow-necked termite

• In Latin the name is Kalotermes flavicollis.
• They are also called yellow-breasted termites and yellow-breasted termites.
• On the territory of Russia it can be found in Sochi near the Black Sea coast and a little to the south.
• Places where termites prefer to live: rotten wood, decaying stumps, hollows. They usually live in entire colonies of hundreds to thousands.
• They can live in old houses if the wood has reached a stage that suits them.
• Flight period – July – September.