Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial insects which consume a wide variety of decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, and soil humus.
They are distinguished by their moniliform antennae and the soft-bodied and often unpigmented worker caste. These creatures have been commonly termed “white ants”; however, they are not ants.
Scientists say about 2,972 extant species are currently described, 2,105 of which are members of the family Termitidae.
Most termites have an analogous “worker” and “soldier” caste system consisting of mostly sterile individuals which are physically and behaviorally distinct. Unlike ants, most colonies begin from sexually mature individuals known as the “king” and “queen” that together form a lifelong monogamous pair. Also unlike ants, which undergo a complete metamorphosis, termites undergo an incomplete metamorphosis that proceeds through egg, nymph, and adult stages.
Termite colonies are commonly described as super organisms due to the collective behaviors of the individuals which form a self-governing entity: the colony itself. Their colonies range in size from a few hundred individuals to enormous societies with several million individuals.
Each termite has a highly specified job. There are worker termites, soldier termites, and a special group of males and females called “alates” that are able to reproduce.
Termites have several impacts on humans. They are a delicacy in the diet of some human cultures such as the Makiritare in the Alto Orinoco province of Venezuela, where they are commonly used as a spice.
They are also used in traditional medicinal treatments of various diseases and ailments, such as influenza, asthma, bronchitis, etc.
Termites are most famous for being structural pests; however, the vast majority of termite species are innocuous.
They are important decomposers of decaying plant matter in the subtropical and tropical regions of the world, and their recycling of wood and plant matter is of considerable ecological importance. They recycle dead and declining trees, transform them into new soil and aerate the soil. Surprisingly, termites are blind.
These creatures do not also sleep snd when they sense danger, the soldiers raise an alarm and all members of the colony begin to bang their heads towards the wall, causing vibrations.
Despite their ecological role, termites can do a great harm to your home furnitures.
Hausa call them “kudoshi”, Igbos call them “mkpu”, while Yorubas call them “ìpele”.
The Termite Queen, a mother’s story
In the heart of a termite nest is a chamber called the queen’s chamber. Here, along with her king, resides the mother of all mothers whose job it is to control the size of her colony, divide the labor of the colony, and serve as its chief reproduction officer.
After pairing with the king, the queen begins the task of starting a colony. The termite queen’s head is similar in size to her fellow colony members.
However, her abdomen can grow to four inches in length or the size of a human index finger and is constantly in labor. She cares for her first off-spring to establish the worker caste who then take care of future eggs on her behalf.
She is well taken care of by millions of sterile worker termites whose job is to feed her, groom her, and carry away those precious eggs to hatching cells or nursery chambers to nest. A queen can produce more than 1,000 eggs in a single day and up to 9 million eggs in her lifetime.
The queen reigns supreme as the main producer of eggs by suppressing the growth development of other queens with the use of pheromones.
As the colony grows, however, she may permit a few of the termite nymphs to fully develop into what is called secondary or supplemental queens to provide sufficient eggs for the continual growth of the colony.
When weather conditions are optimal, the queen produces alates (winged offspring) which leave the colony to form new colonies. These alates are also known as Spring Swarmers. These swarmers will take a short flight, mate, and colonize under a new Queen.