Termites

Termite Social Organization and Behavior

In the strictest sense, termites are eusocial insects classified under the taxonomic order, Isoptera. The term eusocial is defined as having the “highest level of social organization in a hierarchical classification.” Because of their very communal nature, they are usually found in clusters of colonies with a number of individual members that range from several thousand to several million.

Each member of a termite colony instinctively knows their job and how to work with the other members of the termite colony. This swarm intelligence works even in the absence of centralized control. It is a classic example of a self-organized, decentralized system. This allows termite colonies to continue on even if a significant portion of the colony was lost.

The social organization of termites divides the colony into four major groups: their young called nymphs, the reproductive individuals, the workers, and the soldiers.

Termite queens and kings start as young alates, which are winged termites. These termites leave their colonies and fly off to form their own. They officially recive the designation of king and queen titles after having mated and started a colony. The king termite will always stay close to the queen termite and they mate for life. Interestingly, a termite colony can have secondary queen and king termites. These additional reproductives allow the colony to grow and expand quicker.

As the colony grows and is able to support a larger termite family, the queen termites egg laying capacity will increase. As she gets older her body will elongate which will in turn increase her egg laying capacity. A fully mature queen is capable of laying tens of thousands of eggs every single day.

Worker termites are the most common caste of termites in a colony. They are responsible for maintaining the hive, gathering food and caring for the other members of the colony. Since the queen and king are occupied with egg laying duties, and since the soldier termites are incapable of feeding themselves, worker termites are responsible for feeding everyone in the colony. The work tirelessly day and night to make sure the colony is provided for.

Soldier termites have evolved to make them great defenders against outside predators. Soldiers have enlarged heads and heavy jaws that make them great protectors. If there is ever a break that exposes the hive soldier termites will line the opening, protecting against outside invaders, while worker termites seal the opening. They will also use their large heads to block tunnels, sacrificing themselves to protect the colony.

Termites get their nutrients by feeding on organic matter. More specifically, they feed on cellulose that is found in abundance in wood.

Termites have been branded as a nuisance to humans but they, along with every other creature in the ecosystem, play a part in circle of life.