If you live in a tropical country, you will find thousands of wings on your doorstep after every rain after a warm period. Have you ever wondered why?
These wings are the wings of termites after swarming.
Termites have three stages of growth. They begin their life cycle as eggs, which then hatches into nymphs (or young termites). Termite nymphs will molt several times before adulthood. Once they become adult termites, they take their place within the colony's caste system, While worker termites are the architects and providers for the colony, soldier termites are the protectors. This class of termite has a larger head and mandibles for defense. They protect the colony against invasion.
New termite colonies begin when winged swarmer termites, or alates, fly away from their home colony to start a new colony of their own.
Hundreds or even thousands of termite swarmers may make the flight, never looking back, but only a few survive. Most swarmers become food for birds, toads, and other insects. Some die from injury or dehydration. Swarmers' wings are not very strong, so they need wind currents to carry them.
If a swarmer survives, it finds a mate and loses its wings. The female becomes the new queen and a new colony begins, starting the entire process all over again as the queen lays new eggs.
So after the bride flight of the termites living near your house, we humans find the discarded wings of those termites and clean them up.
14 окт 2024
