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Animal Underworld: The Termites
by Biol. Oscar S. Aranda Mena |
 The TermiteSometimes when we lift an old or rotten log or carry out repairs at home, we find that the wood is perforated by countless tunnels from which come hundreds of small whitish insects. Although at first glance they may seem ants, their only similarity to ants is actually their social behavior; they are of completely different biological families. Living within a Society A termite can not live alone. A typical termite colony may consist of more than one million individuals, each part of one of three social castes: workers, soldiers, and players. 95% of individuals belong to the worker caste. They are blind and their life is guided by chemical signals using taste, touch and smell to explore their world. They are responsible for the maintenance of the colony, collecting food. They are also in charge of construction and maintenance of the den that can grow to one of the largest in the animal world. Soldier termites are of the second caste, consisting of most of the remaining 5% of the colony. They are characterized by large heads, made to withstand the powerful jaws they use to defend the colony against ants and other invaders, but the soldiers of a species can "spit" irritating chemicals, capable of scaring off the boldest of intruders, fighting to the death, if necessary. The reproductive caste consists exclusively of the queen and king. All members of a termite colony are capable of reproduction, although their sexual function is inhibited by pheromones secreted by the queen. A new colony begins with a pair of winged termites, who hover in the air to find a partner. After finding a suitable site, they mate and she begins laying eggs. They feed and care for this first generation until they can fend for themselves. From then on, their offspring will look after them. Large-scale Recycling The importance of termites in nature is incalculable, because they recycle dense fibers and substances that would otherwise take up to hundreds of years to degrade. In the forests and jungles, termites degrade 100% of the wood, leaves and dead plants, in addition to humus, fungi and other debris, contributing to the system of returning to the soil, minerals and nutrients essential to life. Also, by digging tunnels, this improved oxygenation of the soils, making them more fertile. It is curious that termites feed on wood but cannot digest it. How do they survive? The answer is by a protozoan that lives in their stomachs. At birth without protozoa, the pups receive pre-digested food that they get from their caregivers, but not all termites need this, as some fungi and bacteria can be used to do the job. All this does not mean that they live in the wood they eat. That is the problem of eradicating them from a house. Termites in the tropics (including Puerto Vallarta) are of a species that live underground and create tunnels made of mud and sawdust walls to safely transport them to their food source, sometimes, in trees, we can see gigantic structures which are nothing more than a termite nest built exclusively of wood dust chewed with saliva they themselves transported to tat location. While it is true that no one wants termites to destroy their home, nor their favorite piece of furniture inherited from ancestors, the reality is that termites are a necessary evil. The natural world would collapse if we eliminated them from the face of the earth. Their role as recyclers is unmatched and people would have to resort to highly aggressive techniques and pollutants in order to degrade the same materials as termites easily dispose of. That's why I'm so glad to see a bird feeding on a termite mound in the forest; better than finding them in my house. |
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