What adaptations do termites have?
What adaptations do termites have?
The termite mouthpart is a special adaptation that allow them to eat wood and wood products. They have hard, saw-toothed jaws that help them to eat lumber, wallpaper, plastics and fabric made of plant fibers.
Where do Cathedral termites live?
Referred to as “cathedral” termites, the Nasutitermes triodiae build huge mounds up to eight metres high in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland — representing some of the tallest non-human animal structures in the world.
What do Cathedral termites eat?
A city of termites requires a lot of food, and the mound has many storage chambers for wood, the insect’s primary food source. Termites also cultivate fungal gardens, located inside the main nest area. Termites eat this fungus which helps them extract nutrients from the wood they consume.
What are Cathedral termites?
Nasutitermes triodiae is a grass-eating species of snouted harvester termite that occurs in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is known as the cathedral termite because of the very high mounds it constructs. It is also sometimes referred to as the spinifex termite, since it is found in the spinifex grasslands.
What is the behavioral adaptation?
Behavioral adaptation: something an animal does usually in response to some type of external stimulus in order to survive. Hibernating during winter is an example of a behavioral adaptation. Biotic factors: living components of an environment such as plants and animals.
How many termites live in a mound?
But in groups of a million or two, termites are formidable architects, building mounds that can reach 17 feet (5 meters) and higher. The 33 pounds (15 kilograms) or so of termites in a typical mound will, in an average year, move a fourth of a metric ton (about 550 pounds) of soil and several tons of water.
What is the tallest termite mound?
The tallest termite mound recorded was a 12.8 m (42 ft) high mound found in the Republic of Congo.
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Do all termites build mounds?
Some termite species, including all of the species in the United States, do not build aboveground mounds, but exist entirely underground. In South America, Africa and Australia, some species of termites can build mounds up to 26 feet high.
Why do termites never sleep?
Termites never sleep. One of the reasons is that they never sleep. Termites are simple organisms. They don’t have to recharge their batteries like many other creatures do. They are able to feed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without stopping.
Can termites survive away from nest?
Subterranean termites are small, soft bodied insects that build large nests in soil or trees and have underground tunnels that can reach up to 100 metres away from the nest. They cannot survive in the open.
Where do termites nest?
The nests may be located between 4 to 18 inches or more underground and are made up of several rooms, called galleries. These galleries are connected by tunnels made of mud. The tunnels not only connect galleries, but also connect the termites to food sources.
What are the developmental pathways of Nasutitermes exitiosus?
FIG. 20.1. The developmental pathways of Nasutitermes exitiosus. It seems that in at least some Central American arboreal Nasutitermes there are two small worker stages (SW1, SW2) and only three large worker stages (LW1–LW3) ( McMahan, 1970; Noirot, 1969; Watson & Sewell, Chapter 3 ).
What’s the average life span of a nasutiterme?
The average lifespan of the laborers varies from 3 to 6 months, while the lifespan of the couple can last for up to 5 years. During the life of a colony, the king and/or the queen can be replaced by differentiated laborers, thus ensuring the longevity of the colony.
How many species of Nasutitermes are there in the world?
A species of Nasutitermes was chosen since the genus is characterized by a range of clearly identifiable stages, especially in the worker line ( Fig. 20.1 ): two small male workers (SW1, SW2) and up to five large female worker types (LW1–LW5) are known ( McMahan & Watson, 1975; Noirot, 1969; Watson & Abbey, 1977 ).
Who are the sexually dimorphic soldiers in Nasutitermes?
Sexually dimorphic soldiers have long been known in Nasutitermes and its allies—a large, generally female soldier and a small, male soldier ( Noirot, 1955, 1969 ).