Morgrug gwynion / Termites
- Accession no: W723
- Collection: Casgliad Coed a Phren wedi ei ddifa Prifysgol Bangor / Bangor University Timber and Damaged Wood Collection
- Name: Termites
- Latin Name: Reticulitermes lucifugus
- Collector: M J Morgan
- Field Collection Place: Sbaen / Spain
- Description: Termites are amongst the most successful groups of insects on earth. There are more than 3000 species of termites, living in colonies ranging from a few hundred to several millions of individuals. Several hundreds of species are economically significant as pests, causing serious damage to crops and buildings. This sample shows extensive damage caused by the European termite Reticulitermes lucifugus to the base of a dead tree (this species is found in southern France and other countries around the Mediterranean).
Termite nests vary between species, some being subterranean (as in Reticulitermes spp,), some in trees, and some building spectacular mounds above ground which may be as much as 6 metres tall. The sample displayed here, from 2m up a termite mound, shows the queen's chamber: she may live for up to 50 years, and has an enormously enlarged body that can produce as many as 1,000 eggs per day in a mature colony. - Summary Description:
- Copyright: Prifysgol Bangor / Bangor University