Tunnel geometry of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes grassei （Isoptera： Rhinotermitidae）in response to sand bulk density and the presence of food

The cryptic habits of subterranean termites restricts detailed analysis of their foraging patterns in situ, but the process is evidently dominated by tunnel constructions connecting the nest with woody resources discovered within the territory of each colony. In this study, tunnel formation and orientation were studied experimentally in the termite Reticulitermes grassei （Clement）, using 2-dimensional laboratory foraging arenas con- taining fine sand as the substratum. The building of exploratory tunnels over a 10-day period and the geometry of the resulting network are described. Fractal analysis showed that tunnel geometry had a fractal dimension, regardless of the total length tunnelled whether foragers encountered the food source or not. The bulk density of the sand in the arenas affected the distances tunnelled, with higher density reducing construction, but did not affect tunnel geometry. Tunnels were not discernibly orientated with respect to the positioning of the food source, even in a situation where termites had failed to find the food source at a distance of less than 50 mm, suggesting that volatiles from wood are not attractants.     

末日拯救R计划 玛雅地下的秘密(下)

正如吉姆之前所说,天然井确实是个无比神奇的地方。进入曲折的地下通道后,希格很快就发现,在这黑漆漆的洞穴里潜水一点儿也不无聊,惊喜随时都有可能出现。哇哦!地下世界自从来到尤卡坦半岛,希格心中一直有个疑问:据说这里下雨时的雨量巨大,可奇怪的是,雨