Harvester termite
Harvester termites are a fascinating group of insects native to Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Unlike most termites, which typically remain in their nests, harvester termites are known for their unique behavior of leaving their nests to gather food, such as grass, leaves, lichen, and seeds. They belong to the family Hodotermitidae and include around 18 species across three genera. Characteristically darker in color and more aggressive than their relatives, harvester termites have fully developed eyes and can be as small as 1/2 inch (just over one centimeter) long, with queens reaching over an inch in length.
The social structure within a harvester termite colony is complex, featuring distinct castes for workers, soldiers, and reproductive individuals. The queen plays a pivotal role, producing up to 30,000 eggs daily and determining the castes of her offspring through chemical signals. While worker termites venture out at night to collect food, soldier termites stay behind to protect the colony from predators. Harvester termite colonies can vary greatly in size, housing anywhere from a few hundred to several million individuals in underground nests filled with tunnels. Notably, harvester termites are not considered a threatened species and can have significant lifespans, with kings and queens living over ten years.
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Harvester termite
Harvester termites are native to Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Harvester termites were given the name harvester for their habit of leaving their nests and gathering grass, leaves, lichen, and seeds. In general, most termites do not leave their nests unless they are mating and forming new colonies.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Family: Hodotermitidae
Genus: Various (see below)
Species: Various (see below)
There are three genera and around 18 species of harvester termites. Harvester termites have many traits which set them apart from other termites. They are darker in color and more aggressive in their food-gathering habits. They are generally smaller. They also differ from other termites in their nest-building methods and diets.
Unlike most termites, which are pale in color and blind, harvester termites have dark brown or black bodies and fully developed eyes. Some harvester termites have round, red heads with sharp stinger-like appendages. These are soldier harvester termites. They use their stinger-like snouts to spray toxic, or poisonous, liquids at approaching predators, such as foxes, centipedes, spiders, or army ants.
Although harvester termites generally grow to be only about 1/2 inch (just over one centimeter) long, queen harvester termites may grow to be over one inch (2 1/2 centimeters) long. Each colony of harvester termites is led by a queen and king termite. The queen is much longer and wider than the other members of the colony because she is constantly pregnant with eggs. A single, full-grown queen may produce as many as 30,000 eggs in a single day. The queen termite is the only termite in the colony which reproduces. All of the other termites, her children, care for the queen and help to maintain the well-being of the colony.
Unlike most termites, which make their nests out of earth, saliva, and waste or out of the dead wood of tree stumps, harvester termites build their nests underground. These nests, which are filled with tunnels and passageways, may house anywhere from a few hundred to several million harvester termites. Harvester termite nests are generally found in the grasslands of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Within these large underground colonies, there is a strict system of positions. Each harvester termite belongs to a certain type of work group known as a caste. Some harvester termites are a part of the worker caste, while others are a part of the reproductive caste. Still others are in the soldier caste.
The caste of each individual termite is determined by the queen termite before the eggs even hatch. The queen termite produces special chemicals which the worker termites lick from her body. These chemicals determine the castes of the eggs. They are passed from the worker termites to the young during feeding. Eventually, the young termites leave the nursery chambers and join their appropriate castes.
Reproductive termites are the only harvester termites which leave the nest and never return. Reproductive termites leave the nest to mate and form new colonies. Unlike some species, in which the reproductive termites are nearly the only termites ever to leave the nest, worker termites in a harvester termite colony also leave the nest. They are the termites for which this family is named. Worker harvester termites leave their nests at night in long columns to harvest grass, seeds, lichen, and leaves to feed the other termites. Soldier harvester termites do not generally leave the nest. There job is to protect the colony from predators, such as centipedes, spiders, and army ants. Some predators, such as anteaters and aardvarks, are too large and dangerous for the soldier ants to fight.
Like other termites, harvester termites may live very long lives. King and queen harvester termites may live to be more than 10 years old. Other harvester termites live between one and two years. They are not a threatened species.
Bibliography
“African Harvester Termite.” SANBI, 4 Sept. 2023, www.sanbi.org/animal-of-the-week/african-harvester-termite. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024.