Page 45 - The Miracle of Termites

Adnan Oktar

Soldier Macrotermites have large heads
and sharp jaws that serve as shields.
These make it impossible for an intruder
to escape.

females, infertile, and smaller than other termites in the nest. The
somewhat larger protectors of the queen, king and larvae are respon-
sible for preventing intruders from entering the inner chambers where
these reside. These protectors were created for battle, with heads de-
signed like shields and sword-sharp lower jaws. In large soldiers, 10%
of their body weight is composed of internal secretions. These secre-
tions are made up of long chains of carbon compounds such as alkanes
and alkenes, and stored in large sacs in the front part of their bodies.

Enemies attack these termites at their peril, because the cost of attack-
ing the colony is more than just a few wounds from the soldiers'
sword-like lower jaws. The soldiers do not stop at that, but smear the
open wounds with an oily chemical compound resembling paraffin
15
composed of alkanes and alkenes. Even though the termites' enemies
often do not receive life-threatening wounds, scientists have noticed
that they die shortly afterwards.

Researchers examining this interesting phenomenon have recog-
nized an amazing fact: the intruders do not die because of the size of
the wound they receive, but through loss of blood. The substance the
termites secrete disables the intruders' blood-clotting ability.

The Termite Army 43