Is this the weirdest defense mechanism found on termites?Īctually, many species of the chompy insects regularly "engage in chemical warfare," says Ed Yong at Discover Magazine. "We have never seen an external pouch like this before" that requires one substance to be mixed with another substance. The termite's suicide gear is "highly unusual in the world of insect warfare," says Wynne Parry at LiveScience, because the combo of blue crystals and salivatory secretions makes it a "two-component system." The sophistication "is remarkable," says Olav Ruepell, an evolutionary biologist at the University of North Carolina. Second, elderly bugs carry the largest and most toxic backpacks, which they've spent a lifetime filling. Two reasons: First, "older individuals are not as effective at foraging and nest maintenance as younger works," says Robert Hanus, a termite biology expert at the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry in Prague. Because of this, scientists can measure the mandibles from edge to edge to approximate the age of a termite. These pincer-like mouths can't be sharpened by molting, and grow apart as they age.
How are scientists able to tell how old they are?Īs termites get older, their mandibles become dull and worn out. The poisonous blue crystals they have amassed react with salivary gland secretions to create a type of "toxic goo." When an enemy takes a bite, the explosive backpack ruptures, covering nearby foes in a deadly, paralyzing venom that also kills the worker in the process. When enemy termites, such as Labiotermes labralis, attack the nest, older worker bugs are sent to the front lines along with soldier bugs. The termites are equipped with what are essentially " explosive backpacks." Over their lifetime, the termites produce toxic blue crystals using a pair of glands in the abdomen, and then store them in an external pouch.
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