You termites are insects that live in tunnels inside the earth or in wood, and feed on cellulose. Like bees and ants, termites are animals that live in society, where each individual has a specific function. In the termite society we can find the worker termites, you termites welded, you king termites and the queen termites.
You worker termites they can be male or female, they have the function of digging tunnels, collecting food, caring for young termites, etc. Theythey are sterile animals, that is, they do not have the ability to reproduce.
Worker termites are responsible for several functions within society
You termites welded they can also be male or female, have very strong legs and jaws. They are in charge of defending society from enemies.
The jaws of soldier termites are strong because they defend society
These animals reproduce in the hottest months of the year, when we can see the winged forms (which have wings) that come out of termite mounds. These winged termites are the kings and queens, and are better known as hallelujahs or crabs. After flying, these insects fall to the ground and lose their wings, and males and females form a pair and build nests where they will be kings and queens.
Termites that have wings are the kings and queens
THE termite queen is a fertile female that can live for 25 to 50 years, and has the capacity to lay up to three million eggs a year, and when pregnant, her abdomen grows to enormous size. Unlike what happens in the society of bees, the male of termites does not die after fertilizing the female, he remains in the nest and manages to fertilize her periodically.
In the image we can see a queen with a dilated abdomen, full of eggs
Termites are fed through tropholaxis (food is passed from mouth to mouth), and also through the use of feces from individuals in society. The feces of an individual are ingested by other individuals in society, who use the remains that have not yet been digested.
Sometimes, in our house, we find a bit of dust on the furniture that is infested with termites. This powder is nothing more than feces balls that termites release after enjoying all the food.
Figure 1: termites. Figure 2: Powder that consists of termite feces
By Paula Louredo
Graduated in Biology
