Functional Plasticity of Foraging Shelter Tubes Built by Termites

Area of Science:

• Entomology
• Animal Behavior
• Materials Science

Background:

• Social insects, like termites, create complex structures with adaptable functions.
• Understanding how termites modify their constructions is key to understanding their ecological success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how termites alter their behavior and building materials to change the function of shelter tubes.
• To compare the construction strategies and material properties of three different termite species.

Main Methods:

• Recorded and analyzed construction behaviors of three termite species: Coptotermes formosanus, Odontotermes formosanus, and Nasutitermes takasagoensis.
• Measured shelter tube thickness and organic matter content.
• Tested shelter tubes for resistance to water loss and water drops.

Main Results:

• All three species utilized a cement-brick construction method.
• Shelter tubes incorporating woody material and feces (C. formosanus, N. takasagoensis) showed strong water drop resistance.
• Shelter tubes made solely of soil and secretions by the fungus-growing O. formosanus exhibited weak water drop resistance.
• Increased shelter tube thickness enhanced resistance to water loss and drops within intraspecific colonies.

Conclusions:

• Termites demonstrate functional plasticity in foraging shelters using limited materials and behaviors.
• A trade-off may exist for fungus-growing termites between using feces for hydrophobicity versus fungal cultivation.
• Construction material choice and structural modifications are crucial for termite shelter function.