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Termite Nutrient Recycling: Cellulose Consumption and Colony Composition - Prof. Evan Sugd, Study notes of Entomology

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.

Typology: Study notes

Pre 2010

Uploaded on 03/18/2009

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Recycling nutrients to the biosphere
cellulose
dung
dead bodies
Cellulose -- most abundant biopolymer on the planet
Wood boring beetles:
Cerambycidae Buprestidae
Long-horn borers Metallic borers
Termites - the consummate eaters of cellulose
Caste system
Queen and King
Workers
Soldiers:
10,000 eggs/day
mandibulate species nasuite species
Queen
Termites - the consummate eaters of cellulose
pf3
pf4
pf5

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Recycling nutrients to the biosphere

cellulose

dung

dead bodies

Cellulose -- most abundant biopolymer on the planet

Wood boring beetles:

Cerambycidae

Buprestidae

Long-horn borers

Metallic borers

Termites - the consummate eaters of cellulose

Caste system

Workers Queen and King

Soldiers:

10,000 eggs/day

mandibulate species

nasuite species

Queen

Termites - the consummate eaters of cellulose

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

Cow dung in Australia a la ‘60s

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

Dealing with larger corpses

A clear succession onto the body; basis for forensic entomology

Blowflies:First phase:

Calliphora,

and houseflies

Calliophora vomitoria

Early putrifaction

Fleshflies:

Sarcophaga

Lay larvae