Termites Serve A Surprising Number Of Useful Purposes
October 15, 2018 at 2:04 p.m.
By Max [email protected]
While termites are truly subversive, it’s fair to point out that they’ll eat anything pulpy. They even find money itself to be tasty. In 2011 they broke into an Indian bank and ate $220,000 in banknotes. In 2013 they ate $65,000 that a woman in Guangdong had wrapped in plastic and hidden in a wooden drawer.
Another statistic seems relevant: Termites outweigh us 10 to 1. For every 132-pound human there are 1,320 pounds of termites
Termites are indeed remarkable and are among the rare organisms that can feed on wood. This unique ability has allowed them to become one of the most abundant creatures in the tropical forests and they have the bacteria in their gut to thank.
Many animals rely on the organisms in their guts to aid the process of digestion; as an example, there are approximately 39 trillion bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract. However, the termite gut microbiome is among the most complex of any animal group. It comprises a diverse mixture of bacteria, protists (one-celled organisms that are not plants, animals or fungi), protozoa and fungi which can break down and extract essential nutrients from materials that are indigestible to most animals.
The analysis of a termite entombed for 100 million years in an ancient piece of amber has revealed the oldest example of mutualism discovered between an animal (a termite) and microorganism (a protozoa), and also shows the unusual biology that helped make this one of the most successful insect group in the world.
Termites are unusually surprising in another respect. In groups of a million or two, they are formidable architects, building mounds that can reach 20 feet or higher and 40 feet in diameter. Considering that termites are 0.4 inches in length, the human equivalent in terms of buildings would be structures up to 4,600 feet tall. Moreover, termites can burrow as far as 225 feet underground.
The 33 pounds or so of termites in a typical mound, will, in an average year, move a fourth of a metric ton (about 550 pounds) of soil and several tons of water. Mounds are oriented north-south as accurately as if plotted with a compass, in order to maximize heat from the sun. Some termites protect the mound by spraying chemicals from nozzles on their heads at intruders.
Although known as "white ants," termites are not ants and their relationships with other insects remain unclear. Molecular analyses show that termites are social cockroaches, no longer meriting being classified as a separate order (Isoptera) from the cockroaches (Blattodea). Termites thus join the more than 3,500 species of roaches worldwide, 55 of which are found in the United States. It is surprising to find that a group of wood-feeding cockroaches has evolved full sociality.
Termites are amazing in a number of aspects. Their queens are 30 times the size of normal soldiers and workers and produce about 30 eggs per minute to keep the colony alive. Queens lay millions of eggs in the course of their decades long life — the longest life span of any insect.
Termites are mainly known for damage caused to human beings, both in urban and rural areas. However, these insects play an important role in decomposing organic matter in tropical areas and are important natural resources, which are widely used in traditional medicine and are also consumed by human populations in several parts of the world.
In Africa, Asia, Latin America and parts of Indonesia, eating termites or using them to feed livestock is a way of life. Collected at the start of the rainy season when other sources of protein are scarce, termites are best eaten after being slightly roasted. (If you are a gourmet, salted dried termites are available from Amazon.) Termites are among the most commonly consumed insects on the planet, second only to grasshoppers.
The importance of insects as a food source for humans is not surprising, since this is the group with the highest number of species in nature. Entomophagy, as the practice of using insects as part of a human diet is called, has played an important role in the history of human nutrition. They have been consumed for generations, and this practice has increased in popularity in recent years.
According to a publication in the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, termites are also used in treatment of various diseases that affect humans, such as influenza, asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, sinusitis, tonsilitis and hoarseness. Termites are indeed unique and surprisingly versatile.
Max Sherman is a medical writer and pharmacist retired from the medical device industry. He has taught college courses on regulatory and compliance issues at Ivy Tech, Grace College and Butler University. Sherman has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge on all levels. Eclectic Science, the title of his column, will touch on famed doctors and scientists, human senses, aging, various diseases, and little-known facts about many species, including their contributions to scientific research. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
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While termites are truly subversive, it’s fair to point out that they’ll eat anything pulpy. They even find money itself to be tasty. In 2011 they broke into an Indian bank and ate $220,000 in banknotes. In 2013 they ate $65,000 that a woman in Guangdong had wrapped in plastic and hidden in a wooden drawer.
Another statistic seems relevant: Termites outweigh us 10 to 1. For every 132-pound human there are 1,320 pounds of termites
Termites are indeed remarkable and are among the rare organisms that can feed on wood. This unique ability has allowed them to become one of the most abundant creatures in the tropical forests and they have the bacteria in their gut to thank.
Many animals rely on the organisms in their guts to aid the process of digestion; as an example, there are approximately 39 trillion bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract. However, the termite gut microbiome is among the most complex of any animal group. It comprises a diverse mixture of bacteria, protists (one-celled organisms that are not plants, animals or fungi), protozoa and fungi which can break down and extract essential nutrients from materials that are indigestible to most animals.
The analysis of a termite entombed for 100 million years in an ancient piece of amber has revealed the oldest example of mutualism discovered between an animal (a termite) and microorganism (a protozoa), and also shows the unusual biology that helped make this one of the most successful insect group in the world.
Termites are unusually surprising in another respect. In groups of a million or two, they are formidable architects, building mounds that can reach 20 feet or higher and 40 feet in diameter. Considering that termites are 0.4 inches in length, the human equivalent in terms of buildings would be structures up to 4,600 feet tall. Moreover, termites can burrow as far as 225 feet underground.
The 33 pounds or so of termites in a typical mound, will, in an average year, move a fourth of a metric ton (about 550 pounds) of soil and several tons of water. Mounds are oriented north-south as accurately as if plotted with a compass, in order to maximize heat from the sun. Some termites protect the mound by spraying chemicals from nozzles on their heads at intruders.
Although known as "white ants," termites are not ants and their relationships with other insects remain unclear. Molecular analyses show that termites are social cockroaches, no longer meriting being classified as a separate order (Isoptera) from the cockroaches (Blattodea). Termites thus join the more than 3,500 species of roaches worldwide, 55 of which are found in the United States. It is surprising to find that a group of wood-feeding cockroaches has evolved full sociality.
Termites are amazing in a number of aspects. Their queens are 30 times the size of normal soldiers and workers and produce about 30 eggs per minute to keep the colony alive. Queens lay millions of eggs in the course of their decades long life — the longest life span of any insect.
Termites are mainly known for damage caused to human beings, both in urban and rural areas. However, these insects play an important role in decomposing organic matter in tropical areas and are important natural resources, which are widely used in traditional medicine and are also consumed by human populations in several parts of the world.
In Africa, Asia, Latin America and parts of Indonesia, eating termites or using them to feed livestock is a way of life. Collected at the start of the rainy season when other sources of protein are scarce, termites are best eaten after being slightly roasted. (If you are a gourmet, salted dried termites are available from Amazon.) Termites are among the most commonly consumed insects on the planet, second only to grasshoppers.
The importance of insects as a food source for humans is not surprising, since this is the group with the highest number of species in nature. Entomophagy, as the practice of using insects as part of a human diet is called, has played an important role in the history of human nutrition. They have been consumed for generations, and this practice has increased in popularity in recent years.
According to a publication in the Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, termites are also used in treatment of various diseases that affect humans, such as influenza, asthma, bronchitis, whooping cough, sinusitis, tonsilitis and hoarseness. Termites are indeed unique and surprisingly versatile.
Max Sherman is a medical writer and pharmacist retired from the medical device industry. He has taught college courses on regulatory and compliance issues at Ivy Tech, Grace College and Butler University. Sherman has an unquenchable thirst for knowledge on all levels. Eclectic Science, the title of his column, will touch on famed doctors and scientists, human senses, aging, various diseases, and little-known facts about many species, including their contributions to scientific research. He can be reached by email at [email protected].
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