The Termites (5)

Section through a termite mound -- a fungus comb

 

The image shows a longitudinal section through the mound of a fungus-cultivating termite. A typical nest has many chambers, connecting tunnels, and ventilation chimneys. Below the center is the small chamber with the queen. Some chambers are used for raising the larvae, others are filled with forage material.
A specialty of the fungus-cultivating termites are the fungal gardens, where a symbiotic basidiomycte (Termitomyces spp.) is grown on predigested organic matter. 
The picture on the right shows an enlarged view of a fungus comb, which consists of plant material and fungal biomass and forms the main source of nutrition for the termites.