Page 95 - The Miracle of Termites

Adnan Oktar

cover them with a dome to protect them in heavy rainfalls.
Underground nests can be quite complicated in structure. For ex-
ample the species Apicotermes gurgulifex that lives in the Congo builds
a nest resembling a giant pinecone 50 cm (19.5 inches) under ground.
In the interior of the nest are flat chambers joined by a central spiral

path. The inside has a complicated structure made up of multistoried
galleries separated by 1 mm thick walls. The nest is protected against
intruders by infertile, adult soldiers with large heads and jaws.
Many narrow channels enter the galleries from outside. These
channels are too narrow for termites to pass through; like the chimney
of the Macrotermes, these channels function as a gas-exchange system.
They also form a thin roof to prevent rain from entering the nest.

"Mushroom" nests built for
protection from the rain.

The Wondrous Architecture of Their Nests 93