Termites form a highly organized society and spend most of their day working in their nest. “The population of a termite mound can reach millions of individuals and is divided into three basic castes: a royal couple, soldiers and workers”, says biologist Francisco José Zorzenon, a specialist in termites at the Biological Institute of São Paulo. Each of these castes has a very specific function in the life of the colony, as we show in these pages. These functions are more or less the same in the nearly 3,000 known species of termites in the world. Around 300 of them are found in Brazil, with the species Coptotermes gestroi being one of the most common. Highly adaptable, these small insects have inhabited the Earth for much longer than man – fossilized remains of termites dating back to 55 million years have already been found. Contrary to what one might think, they do not feed only on wood, but also on plants and fungi. Therefore, they play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter, helping to make the soil more fertile. The types of nest vary from one species to another, the most common being underground, arboreal (built in branches and tree trunks), wooden and mound nests, which are on the ground and can be seen in pastures. It is the latter that we use as a reference for the infographic on the side.
Nest is full of tunnels, has floors underground and can last 80 years
FIRM CONSTRUCTION
The size of the termite mound depends on the population of the colony, but, on average, it reaches 60 cm in height. It is made of earth, sand, saliva and excrement of the termites themselves. The construction is so solid on the outside that some termite mounds stand for up to 80 years!
INNER LABYRINTH
From the outside, a mound-type termite mound looks like a mound of dry, lifeless earth. Inside, however, it has several tunnels and interconnected chambers through which millions of termites circulate. The chambers have a variety of uses, from food storage to egg nursery
IN LAYERS
The termite mound is built by compartments and gains “floor by floor”. The nest grows both above and below ground—about 25% of the termite mound’s total size may be underground. Newer “floors” are wetter and not as solid
VIP BOX
Among the thousands of chambers, one stands out: the royal chamber. The colony’s queen and king live there, responsible for founding the nest and multiplying the termites. The royal couple lives, on average, from 15 to 20 years and can be replaced by other secondary pairs.
GUARDED ENTRY
Access to the nest is via underground tunnels that lead to the ground. It is through them that worker termites go out to collect food. In these missions, they are protected from enemies, such as ants and wasps, by soldier termites, which act as an “escort”
Queen can measure 4 centimeters, eight times longer than a worker termite
Queen
It is the main breeder of the colony. In the case of mound termites, the “sovereign” reaches 2 to 4 cm – its partner, the king, is only a few millimeters. From its voluminous abdomen, the eggs that populate the nest come out.
Nymph
A part of the larvae turns into nymphs. At this stage, they are white and soft individuals, but who already belong to the “elite”. Nymphs can become a king and queen or secondary spawners, who replace the royal couple when they die.
Larva
A queen produces up to 80,000 eggs daily. After being released, they develop and turn into larvae. From the larvae comes most of the population that fills the colony: worker termites and soldier termites.
factory worker
It is the most populous caste in the nest. Its size varies greatly, but on average it is around 5 mm. Blind and usually sterile, the worker is the termite mound’s great «handyman»: he looks for food, builds tunnels, takes care of cleaning…
Soldier
With a larger size than the worker — about 6 mm —, it protects the nest against invaders. Some have powerful jaws to crush and slash opponents! The hard, bulky head can clog the colony’s tunnels, preventing invading enemies.
winged termite
Stage in which nymphs gain wings. They are the siriris or hallelujahs. At certain times of the year, they leave in flocks of up to 300 meters in search of a partner to mate. Then they create a new termite mound as a royal couple