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Insect Order Isoptera - termites / white ants
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Termites are well known both for their destruction of human property
and for their construction of huge mounds or 'termitaria' which allow
them to have a great degree of control over the temperature and humidity
of the environment they live in. They are common in the tropics and
occur in most warm habitats as well. They are often called 'white ants'
because the majority of them are white and small and live in large
colonies much like ants. They are not actually closely related to the
ants at all but are closely related to the Cockroaches. The most
primitve Termite known is Mastotermes darwiniensis from northern
Australia. Mastotermes darwiniensis lives in the soil in nests
consisting of up to
1,000,000 individuals, has very catholic tastes
(will eat almost anything) and has been described as the most
destructive insect in Northern Australia, its workers are very similar to
nymphs of the Cockroach Cryptocercus punctulatus. Some of the
most advanced species are the Macrotermtinae which grow fungi for food (Termitomyces)
inside their nests on piles of faecal pellets. The oldest known Termites
are fossils of Cretotermes carpenteri from the Cretaceous. The
sterile workers live for 2-4 years while primary sexuals live for at
least 20 and perhaps 50 years.
They are described as hemimetabolous, medium sized polymorphic
(having more than one form) social insects. They have biting mouthparts,
short cerci and moniliform (appearing as if composed of a series of
beads) antennae comprising 9 to 30 segments. The alate forms (winged
primary reproductives) have four almost equal wings and compound eyes;
however the sterile workers and the secondary reproductives have no or
greatly reduced compound eyes some forms have two ocelli. |
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