Termite Biology and Lifecycle
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Click here to see how termites live. |
Termites are social insects that live in colonies
where populations may reach more than one million. A colony consists of several different forms of termites,
including reproductives, soldiers, and workers. Each of these comprise different castes in the colony and support different functions in their social system.
| King and Queen |
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Many colonies have one king and queen, which support the growth of the colony. The queen's sole purpose is to reproduce. Some live for as long as 30 years, and can lay an egg every 15 seconds. |
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| Eggs |
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Queens can lay thousands of eggs every year. Eggs then hatch into nymphs. |
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| Nymphs |
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While in the nymphal state, termites diverge into different castes - workers, soldiers, reproductives, and supplementary reproductives. |
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| Workers |
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Workers are blind, wingless termites that maintain the colony, build and repair the nest and shelter tubes, forage for food, and care for the other termites (soldiers, reproductives and nymphs). They are the most numerous caste and the most likely to be found in infested wood. |
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| Soldiers |
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Soldiers are sterile, wingless and blind. Their sole function is to defend the colony. |
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| Winged Reproductives |
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These winged reproductives will eventually leave the colony as adult termite "swarmers." After swarming, they shed their wings and pair up. Each male-female pair attempts to start a new colony. |
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| Supplementary Reproductives |
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These termites help increase the population of established colonies and can serve as replacements for the king or queen if they should die. The presence of supplementary reproductives in a colony can aid in the formation of very large colonies because of increased
reproduction potential. |