Three-layered functionally specialized nest structures enhance strength and water retention in mounds of Globitermes sulphureus (Blattodea: Termitidae).

Termite mounds are a ubiquitous feature of savanna ecosystems, yet the mechanisms by which termites (Blattodea: Termitoidae) mitigate the challenges posed by seasonal drought and flooding through mound construction remain insufficiently explored. This study investigates the material properties, water retention capabilities, and resistance to raindrop penetration across three distinct layers of Globitermes sulphureus (Haviland, 1898) (Blattodea: Termitidae) nests. Our findings reveal a pronounced diversification and specialization of materials and functions across these layers.

Body size of fungus-growing termites infers on the volume and density of their fungal cultivar.

The body size of an animal plays a crucial role in determining its trophic level and position within the food web, as well as its interactions with other species. In the symbiosis between and fungus-growing termites, termites rely on nutrition of fungal nodules produced by . To understand whether the size of termites and fungal nodules are related to their partner specificity, we quantified the size of termite farmer caste, and the size and density of nodules in termite nests of four genera of fungus-growing termites, and identified their cultivated fungus species based on internal transcribed spacer regions and partial large subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequences.

Termite's Twisted Mandible Presents Fast, Powerful, and Precise Strikes.

The asymmetric mandibles of termites are hypothetically more efficient, rapid, and powerful than the symmetric mandibles of snap-jaw ants or termites. We investigated the velocity, force, precision, and defensive performance of the asymmetric mandibular snaps of a termite species, Pericapritermes nitobei. Ultrahigh-speed recordings of termites revealed a new record in biological movement, with a peak linear velocity of 89.