Termite

Share Top Five March 25, 2019

Termites are eusocial insects that are classified at the taxonomic rank of infraorder Isoptera, or as epifamily Termitoidae within the cockroach order Blattodea. Termites were once classified in a separate order from cockroaches, but recent phylogeneticstudies indicate that they evolved from close ancestors of cockroaches during the Jurassic or Triassic. However, the first termites possibly emerged during the Permian or even the Carboniferous. About 3,106 species are currently described, with a few hundred more left to be described. Although these insects are often called “white ants”, they are not ants,More info:wiki

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#10 TERMITE COLONIES: HOW TERMITE COLONIES ARE FORMED,More info:terminix

Termites are social insects whose colony members perform different jobs in the colony according to their caste (reproductives, workers or soldiers). Knowing how termites reproduce may help you learn how to control them.

A typical termite colony will have a single pair of reproductives: the king and the queen. The termite king and queen produce pheromones, a scent that signals nesting and mating, that spread throughout the colony to prevent the worker termites from becoming reproductive adults. The queen is responsible for starting the colony and laying all the eggs until the colony reaches a certain size. She will then allow some of the immature termites to develop into secondary queens which lay the additional eggs needed to keep the colony thriving. The king and queen can live 15-25 years. If the queen or king dies, or there’s an increase in the size of the colony, the concentration of pheromone levels and type change. Then one or more workers will molt into reproductive termites, or alates.

#9 Termite Populations Depend on Weather and Food Sources,More info:cantupestcontrol

#8 Are These Termites or Ants?,More info:extension.msstate

You’ve found large numbers of insects flying about the house, or perhaps you have noticed an accumulation of dead insects on the floor or on a windowsill. Are these termite swarmers or ants? This is an important question. f they are termite swarmers, it means the building is infested with termites and needs to be professionally treated. Depending on the size of the building, that’s going to cost around a thousand dollars or more. If they are ants, some type of treatment may still be needed, but you may be able to do it yourself, and even if you hire a pest control company, it won’t be nearly as costly.

#7 Termite queen, king recognition pheromone identified,More info:phys

Researchers at North Carolina State University have for the first time identified a specific chemical used by the higher termite castes—the queens and the kings—to communicate their royal status with worker termites. The findings could advance knowledge of termite evolution, behavior and control.

#6 Formosan Termites,More info:pestworld

Formosan termites are a subterranean species of termite with three distinct castes: alates (or reproductive), soldiers and workers. Often referred to as “super termites,” they are the most voracious, aggressive and devious of over 2,000 termite species known to science, chewing through wood, flooring and even wallpaper undetected.

#5 Why exceptionally fertile termite queens have long lives,More info:phys

Usually the rule in the animal kingdom is that a lot of progeny means a short life – if you are less fertile, you live longer. However, it seems that social insects can escape this fate. How they do this has been revealed by a research team from the Institute of Zoology at the University of Freiburg, taking the termite species Macrotermes bellicosus as its model.

#4 Evolutionary origin of termite gut microbiome revealed,More info:eurekalert

A pile of dead wood, leaf litter and soil might look like garden waste to us. But to termites, it’s a nutritious lunch.

Termites are among the rare organisms that can feed on wood. This remarkable ability has allowed them to become one of the most abundant animals in the terrestrial tropics, and they’ve got their gut bacteria to thank.