Isoptera - Termites |
Termites are social insects placed in the infraorder Isoptera within Blattodea. Termites live in large social colonies comprised of castes. Winged individuals in reproductive condition are called alates. All colonies have one or more fertile females called queens, and fertile males called kings. The majority of termites in any colony are workers, which maintain the nest and provide food to the rest of the colony. Soldiers defend the colony against predators. The ratio between soldiers and workers varies between taxonomic groups, from 1:2 to 1:1000. Termites mostly feed on dead plant material including wood and leaf litter. Many tropical and subtropical species are of considerable ecological importance, because of their recycling of plant matter, and their role in providing habitat and food for many invertebrate and vertebrate species. There are twelve families with ca. 300 genera and 3,100 species.We have images of only one sub-family from the family Termitidae, the Nasutitermitinae.
Conehead Termites or Nasute Termites (Nasutitermitinae) |
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Termite nests | ||
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