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The role of termites in recycling nutrients, specifically cellulose, to the biosphere. It covers various aspects of termite biology, including their caste system, feeding habits, and fungus cultivation. The document also discusses the importance of termites in controlling fly populations through dung decomposition and the role of various beetles in the decomposition process.
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cellulose
dung
dead bodies
Cellulose -- most abundant biopolymer on the planet
Wood boring beetles:
Cerambycidae
Buprestidae
Long-horn borers
Metallic borers
Workers Queen and King
Soldiers:
10,000 eggs/day
mandibulate species
nasuite species
Queen
Termite habits:
Harvester termites
Hodotermes
aardwolf
Most shun the open and stay protected
Live in the wood that they are consuming
or in nests that they construct.
Lower termites - cellulose digestion by protozoa or bacteria
Trichonympha protozoans
Fungus-growing termites [Macrotermes]
Termididae
Macroterminae
Macroterminae termites
Termatomycetes
fungus
Fungus cultivation: Fungi have evolved along with the termites
Also, breeding sites for bush fly was being lost to cow pats~6,000,000 acres of pasture per year Dung provides breeding sites for various types of flies
Bush flies (Australia) Stable flies
Stomoxys calcitrans
Dung beetles
Involved in the rapid burying of dung; control fly problems
Strategies:
Rollers:
Tunnelers:
Why the ornamentation on the males?
Onthophagus
: males show a dimorphism in horn size
large, horned
small, hornless
Different morphologies relate to different mating strategies
Mating strategies of
Onthophagus
(sneaker male)
(territorial
male)
Undertakers for the animal world
Sexton beetles
A clear succession onto the body; basis for forensic entomology
Blowflies:First phase:
Calliphora,
and houseflies
Calliophora vomitoria
Early putrifaction
Fleshflies:
Sarcophaga
Lay larvae
