Justin Burcham, age 13, of Las Vegas, Nev., for his question:
IS THE TERMITE CLOSELY RELATED TO THE ANT?
Termite is the common name of about 2,000 known species of social insects that can seriously damage wooden structures. Although some termites are called white ants, this is a misnomer based on superficial similarities in the appearance and habits of the two insects. Termites and ants are not closely related.
True ants belong to a more advanced insect order, the Hymenoptera, which includes also the bees and the wasps. Termites are relatively primitive insects, comprising the order Isoptera. They have thick waists, soft bodies and incomplete metamorphosis.
Most of the termite species are found in tropical countries although they are also found in all temperate regions.
No solitary termites exist. A termite colony may number from 100 to more than 1 million individuals. Excluding the immature forms, called nymphs, a single colony consists of several structurally differentiated forms living together as castes and different functions in community life. In socially advanced species, three principal castes exist: the reproductives, the soldiers and the workers.
Termite nests, called termitaries, vary widely. The nests of certain tropical species are huge moundlike structures, often 20 feet in height. These mounds have extremely hard walls, constructed from bits of soil cemented with saliva and baked by the sun.
Inside the walls of the nest are numerous chambers and galleries, interconnected by a complex network of passageways. Ventilation and drainage are provided, and heat required for hatching the eggs is obtained from the fermentation of organic matter, which is stored in the chambers serving as nurseries.
Of the more than 55 species common in the United States, the majority build their nests underground. The subterranean termites are extremely destructive.
Termites feed mainly on wood and other materials containing cellulose. The cellulose is partially digested by protozoans living symbiotically in the intestines of the worker. Enzymes produced by the protozoans break down the cellulose into components that can be assimilated by the termites.
Digested cellulose is distributed by the workers to members lacking the protozoans.
Some species feed on vegetable molds that they cultivate. Other species obtain a special fluid secreted by beetles known as termitophiles, that live as guests within the termite community.
The subterranean termites found in the United States are very destructive because they tunnel their way to wooden structures, into which they burrow to obtain food. Given enough time, termites will feed on the wood until nothing is left but a shell.