The Termites, Part III

THE MYSTERIOUS SOCIAL LIFE OF TERMITES

PART III: Termites, the Mysterious Insects

Termites constitute and caste system consisting of workers and soldiers, a king, and a queen. The Nymphs are young termites that may develop into workers or soldiers. The main task for the termites is to protect their home.
The Queens Duty is to lay egg, and she produces up to 40,000 eggs every day. The king’s task is to fertilize the eggs.

The workers know exactly their duties. They build the nests, tunnels that bind together the various past parts of the nests. They shape all the chambers and repair damages. They feed the queen and soldiers, since soldier’s head functions as a weapon and have been changed the so the soldiers cannot feed themselves.

The soldiers produce chemical substances that are poisonous for intruders. Up to 1/3 of the body weight of the soldiers may consist of such toxic material
Then, we understand that an absolute pre-requisite is that there is a sophisticated system that to protect the soldiers from being damaged by the poisonous material in their own bodies.

Termites communicate by chemical signals systems dependent on taste and smell.
Each colony is characterized by a specific scent. Termite colonies develop and important caste-based division of labor.
Individuals in these societies interact via Intra- and Intercaste chemical communications.

Termites have been known for more than 50 years to communicate by a variety of Pheromones. Pheromones are chemical factors that are secreted or excreted that triggers a social response of the same species and thus represent an important communication system.
There exist many Pheromones, that signal very different messages. We will mention the most important of them;

We have sex pairing pheromones that causes sexual attraction during mating periods.

Trail-following pheromones are laid down on the past to forage, leading other termites to the food source.

Alarm pheromones signal something threatening and prepare the soldiers and workers to protected their nest.

Egg protection is one of the most fundamental social activities performed by the social insects. Workers recognize the eggs laid by the Queen, pile the eggs in the nursery rooms and smear their saliva on the surface of the eggs to protect them from the desiccation and Infection by pathogens.

Egg recognition pheromones elicit the egg-carrying and egg-piling behaviors in workers.

The queens secret a pheromone that even can inhibit the transformation of the workers into Queens.

Now,for a very incridible mysteries, some questions may rise like;

How is it possible that the termites can interpret the messages signalized by these chemical compounds?

What kind of sensors do they have to be able to receive the message?

How can the sender and the receiver of the message know the meaning of the various pheromones?

These messages are specified information and as has been stressed in the previous chapters the such information appoints to an intelligent cause. There are no reasons to believe that the Unguided and Blind Materialistic process can cause such a sophisticated system.

The last trait to be mentioned for termites, is their Altruism. Their most important duty is to defend and care for the colony.
And they are willing to sacrifice their own life to save their siblings.
Kjell J. Tveter A short introduction to INTELLIGENT DESIGN.

Don’t miss out the full mysterious adventure of the Termites

Read Termites! The mysterious insects Part I here.

Read Termites! The mysterious insects Part II here.

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