10 shocking facts about termites, the third one may make you frown

In most people's minds, termites are just "wood-eating" pests that chew furniture and destroy houses. But did you know? These "low-key" insects have actually lived on Earth for more than 100 million years. They have a highly developed social structure, a mysterious digestive system, and even "cleanliness"!

Today, I will take you to uncover 10 incredible truths about the termite world. The third one is really a bit heavy...

1. Termites are actually nature's "soil engineers"

Don't think they are just destroyers. Termites can decompose stubborn plant fibers, turn dead trees into fertile soil, and help the forest ecological cycle. The "tunnels" they dig underground can also loosen the soil and improve ventilation. It's just a coincidence that our human houses happen to be their "delicacy".

2. Termites rely on "microorganisms in their stomachs" for digestion

Termites' staple food is wood, a plant fiber that is very difficult to decompose. But termites have a large group of protozoa and bacteria living in their intestines, which are responsible for "decomposition work". Termites provide them with a stable environment, and they help termites digest fiber - a perfect example of "mutual symbiosis".

3. Termites have to eat their companions' feces to survive

It sounds a bit "heavy", but it's true. Termites do not have the microorganisms needed to digest fiber in their stomachs when they are born. They need to obtain these "good bacteria" by eating the feces of other adult termites. This behavior is called "feces-mouth exchange". And after each molting, termites have to replenish their bacterial colonies - so "eating feces" has become a daily ritual in termite society.

4. The ancestor of the termite family is the cockroach

Termites, cockroaches and mantises are actually "distant relatives", and their common ancestor lived 300 million years ago. The earliest termite fossil can be traced back to the Cretaceous period 130 million years ago. A termite sealed in amber also retains the symbiotic protozoa in its stomach - this is the earliest "symbiotic fossil" on Earth!

5. Termite fathers will accompany their children to grow up

In the bee society, drones "heroically sacrifice" after mating. But termites are different. Males will always stay with the queen, not only continuing to fertilize the queen, but also sharing the task of parenting and feeding the larvae. This is very rare in the insect world!

6. Most of the workers and soldiers are "blind"

In the termite colony, most of the workers and soldiers have no vision. The reason is simple: they work in the dark and humid nest all their lives and do not use their eyes at all. Only the termites responsible for reproduction (winged) need vision because they have to fly out to find a mate and build a new nest.

7. Soldier termites use "head-banging" to sound the alarm

When the nest is invaded, the soldier ants will hit the nest wall with their heads, creating vibrations to transmit "alarm signals", just like a miniature "metal rock drummer", instantly notifying the entire colony to enter a state of alert.

8. Termites communicate through "body odor"

Termites do not communicate through words, but through smells - that is, pheromones. They secrete odors on their bodies and leave "olfactory tracks" on the ground to guide their companions. Each termite colony has a unique "body odor code", and some queens even control the development direction of young ants through special "feces pheromones"!

9. Termite "princes and princesses" can fly

Whenever a colony matures, a group of winged "candidate kings and queens" will fly out of the nest (called "marriage flight") and pair up in the air. These "air lovers" will break their wings after landing and establish their new kingdom in a new location.

10. Termites are "clean freaks"

Don't think that insects living in the soil are dirty. In fact, termites pay great attention to cleanliness! They spend a lot of time combing each other's bodies every day to maintain "whole nest hygiene". This not only prevents parasite invasion, but also reduces the risk of bacterial infection.

Conclusion:
The world of termites is far more mysterious and complex than you think. They may be destroyers, but they are also an indispensable part of the ecosystem. Seeing this, will you still simply regard them as "pests"?

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animal tags： Termites