The Termites (1)
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A termite mound -- a
worker termite
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Among insects, true sociality is found only among bees, wasps, ants, and termites. Although the latter have been named White Ants in many languages, there are fundamental differences between ants and termites. The white color is caused by a lack of pigment due to a life in darkness.
Different termite species build their nests either underground or in rotting tree logs, or they many construct mounds of astonishing height, as shown on the illustration. They use prechewed wood and soil particles, mixed with the secretions of their salivary glands, as building material.
Each nest is inhabited by a population consisting of different castes, usually comprised of a pair of reproductives (queen and king), and a large number of sexless workers and soldiers.
The worker castes, often consisting of completely blind individuals, as depicted on the right, are reponsible for nest construction and rearing the offspring.