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Mound-building termites are a group of termite species that live in mounds which are made of a combination of soil, termite saliva and dung. These termites live in Africa, Australia and South America. The mounds sometimes have a diameter of 30 metres (98 ft). Most of the mounds are in well-drained areas.
The infraorder name Isoptera is derived from the Greek words iso (equal) and ptera (winged), which refers to the nearly equal size of the fore and hind wings. [15] " Termite" derives from the Latin and Late Latin word termes ("woodworm, white ant"), altered by the influence of Latin terere ("to rub, wear, erode") from the earlier word tarmes.
Despite the popular reputation of termites for breaking down and digesting wood, most termite species do not possess the capability to digest the cellulose in wood. Macrotermitinae instead use their mounds to cultivate fungus in a symbiotic relationship, similar to leaf-cutter ants (fungus-cultivating ants). Worker termites find plant debris ...
Scientists in South Africa have been stunned to discover that termite mounds that are still inhabited in an arid region of the country are more than 30,000 years old, meaning they are the oldest ...
The mounds built by this termite can be up to 4 m (13 ft) tall, 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) wide and 1 m (3 ft 3 in) deep. [1] The nests are laterally flattened and are oriented so that they receive the warmth of the sun on their eastern and western sides in the morning and evening while exposing less surface to the sun at midday when the nest might ...
Odontotermes is a termite genus belonging to subfamily Macrotermitinae (fungus-growing termites), which is native to the Old World. They are most destructive in wooden homes, [1] and are agricultural pests in the tropics and subtropics of Africa and Asia. [2] It is the most diverse termite genus in Africa, with 78 species recorded (as of 2002). [3]
One method of gathering them is to pour water over dry termite mounds in winter, mimicking the spring rains when termites are more active. In the South African province of Limpopo , Macrotermes soldiers and workers often occur in yards in rural areas, and on sidewalks in towns.
Mounds of the cathedral termites on the dry plains of the Northwest Territory dominate the landscape and often tower more than 15 feet in height. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Constructed from mud, plant parts, and termite saliva and feces , the columns of the mound are extraordinarily tough and able to withstand the rigors of wind, rain, heat, and hungry predators.