Page 42 - The Miracle of Termites

Harun Yahya

with poison. Some species synthesize a very strong poison that they
store in their bodies without suffering any harm. The poisons pro-
duced by termites differ according to species, and the way each spe-
cies uses it is also different.
For example, soldiers of the subfamily of Rhino-termitidae kill an
aggressor by smearing its body with poison. This species has a short-

er lower jaw and long upper jaw, with ends like a brush. This special
mouth structure is quite effective in allowing the termite to smear the
body of any aggressor. And since a soldier termite can store up to 35%
of its body weight in poison, the amount it secretes can kill thousands
of ants. 13
Prorhinotermes also smears poison as a defensive strategy. This
species of termite lives in Florida, and the jaws of the workers contain
a poisonous substance called nitroalkene. Another species, the

The Rhinotermes soldier termite
kills an intruder by smearing it with
poison (right).

The jaw of Prorhinotermes se-
cretes a poison (nitroalkane).

THE MIRACLE OF TERMITES
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