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Termites live in colonies, are social insects, and divide their work among specialized members. The members of these colonies move in passageways that are hidden from the sun’s rays and are protected from undue moisture loss.
The colonies are hidden, or cryptobiotic, and this enable them to conserve the necessary water supply, and also protects them from animal enemies.
The cryptobiotic habit is of fundamental importance and has resulted in such noteworthy characteristics in termites as poor or absent eyes, lack of wings in some adults and a thin body covering.
Termites live in darkness, in narrow passageways, where the temperature, the moisture and probably the oxygen pressure are to some extent under their control. Their elaborate systems of tubes and runways are constructed either to obtain food or as outlets for the winged sexual forms. In order to protect themselves from desiccation they consume the wood until only a thin outer shell is left, ad this may not be evident from the exterior. |
