Did you know that the Armidale Pine Forest (known locally as “The Piney”) is home to some extraordinary architecture, an example of the wonder in the world around us? These structures can adapt to temperature and humidity, and are a source of inspiration for humans as we improve the sustainable regulation of our own homes. They are termite mounds.

How often do any of us give them a second thought? Creatures just a few mm long, blind and colourless excavate the soil and build these large mounds with tunnels or galleries up to 100m long to house the colony. These mound-building termites use soil, dung, and their saliva to create their homes, which in turn protect them from the light, extremes in temperature and humidity and predators such as echidnas, birds and bats (who find them quite delicious and fattening during their brief mating flights). They can adapt their nests to local conditions; to temperature and humidity (important as they are soft bodied and can dry out more easily than other insects) by opening and closing entrances.

In addition, these termites are important to the micro-environment as they enhance soil-aeration and nutrient cycling. Of course, millions live in a mound – teamwork and many feet (and mouths) are needed for such a large project. There are still many questions for humans to answer to understand termite mound architecture, and how we may be able to modify their engineering feats for our own comfort. To date, much biomimicry has focussed on what buildings look like, however, we are broadening our approach to also mimic nature’s processes like the efficiency of termite mounds. Technology is allowing us to combine science, engineering and computing to examine and understand the processes by which nature works and adapt them to our uses. For example, the Eastgate Centre in Harare, Zimbabwe, which has a porous surface and ventilation systems that help to store and release heat much like a termite mound.

Not all termites are mound builders, some live in wholly underground nests, others in the timber on which they feed (these are the ones we consider pests in buildings). Those which do live in mounds can escape to the upper stories if the underground floods, which may be happening at present in some areas of the Pine Forest that are very wet.

Sometimes, whilst facilitating our Discovery Voyager activity, Plants Poop and Pollinators, we are asked the question “Are ants and termites related?”. This is a good question given their similarities – both are small, make nests in the ground, have castes (different groups in the colony which perform different tasks), and sometimes termites are confusingly called “white ants”. However, ants are a member of the Wasp order, Hymenoptera, and termites are order Blattodea (previously order Isoptera). To identify them: ants have a ‘waist’, a more armoured and coloured body and the workers have compound eyes; termite workers have no waist, no eyes and soft, pale bodies. Ants have elbowed antennae while termites have beaded, straight antennae.

References

Australian Museum Termites – The Australian Museum

BBC Earth What termites can teach architects | BBC Earth

UNE. Oz Soils. Termites – Oz Soils 4

Zborowski, Paul & Storey, Ross. A Field Guide to Insects in Australia.