View allAll Photos Tagged termite
Images of Australia: 57/100
The Magnetic Termite Mounds are unique and found exclusively in northern Australia. The mounds have a precise north-south orientation, with thin edges pointing north-south and broad backs facing east-west.
This alignment is a sophisticated temperature control mechanism that helps maintain optimal conditions for the termite colonies inside.
The termites construct these mounds using a mixture of saliva, sand, and droppings, The mounds can survive for 50 to 100 years and are complete with arches, tunnels, chimneys, insulation, and nursery chambers, that can all withstand decades of the harsh climate while maintaining perfect internal climate control.
One of Litchfield National Park's most impressive sights is the hundreds of termite mounds standing up to two metres high in a wide swathe of empty ground. Up to 100 years old, these structures are unique to the northern parts of Australia and Litchfield National Park, 120 kilometres south of Darwin.
Magnetism or magnets have nothing to do with it. This arrangement is nature’s answer to the problem of termite air conditioning. By aligning themselves with the journey of the sun, these termites ensure that the temperature stays even over the course of the ferociously hot day and subsequent cold night.
Best viewed large.
Explore #107
A winged termite has come to a soggy end. The white circles are bubbles of air on the lower surface of the wings. Winged termites take to the air after rain on a nuptial flight looking for a partner. Not a happy end for this one!
Big Basin Redwood State Park, California.
The amazing ever-living Redwood Tree.
Capable of withstanding storms, floods, fires, drought, and even tree-devouring termites, these mighty redwoods can live over 2,000 years. Redwoods possess amazing strength, vigor, and regenerative powers. They have earned their name Sequoia
sempervirens-meaning ever-green or ever-living.
Bark up to a foot thick protects the growing part of the tree. Roots grow sideways and fuse with roots of neighboring trees, forming a network of stability. Leaves catch moisture from fog, a precious source of water when rain is scarce.
Red pigment contains an insect-deterring chemical called tannin-a potent repellent against termites, wood-boring beetles, and fungal attack.
Dormant buds sprout and the tree continues to grow after a limb or top breaks off.
Termites in rotten wood of a tree hole
Bicentennial Park, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, 2017
Southern Harvester Termite Soldier
Photographed at ~6.5x magnification.
Canon 6D, MPE-65, TC 1.4X, total RR 6.5
ISO 100, F/3.5, 0.4s, 157 images stacked in Zerene
YS-type DIY LED tunnel light. Beetle diffuser material for tunnel.
ZS, PS, Capture 1
Cape Town, South Africa
It's not unusual to see the huge, endless termite mounds to be decorated in various ways! The mounds in this part of the top end were large, tall and sharply pointed unlike further south where their shape changed.. The soil colour changed in various parts - some more white and sandy depending on the location. But there were millions of them!
It is not unusual to see tree trunks covered in the same red material - an indication the termites are building nearby. The nest themselves are underground and the termite tower is the ventilation shaft!
A first sighting for me and I am delighted. Long on my list of birds to see. Similar to the other woodpecker, resident of South Asia. Prefers fruits and berries, but also ants, termites, larvae, and beetles. I sighted in high canopy of a small tree that was overshadowed by the canopy of a larger tree. Luckily it was the right side of the sun and in light for just a few seconds! This is one of the smaller woodpeckers and maybe the name reflects that.
Thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.
The black garden ant (Lasius niger), also known as the common black ant, is a formicine ant, the type species of the subgenus Lasius, which is found across Europe and in some parts of North America, South America, Asia and Australasia. The European species was split into two species; L. niger, which are found in open areas; and L. platythorax, which is found in forest habitats. It is monogynous, meaning colonies contain a single queen.
Lasius niger colonies can reach in size up to around 40,000 workers in rare cases, but 4,000–7,000 is around average. A Lasius niger queen can live for up to 29 years[2] the longest recorded lifespan for any eusocial insect. Lasius niger queens in the early stages of founding can have two to three other queens in the nest. They will tolerate each other until the first workers come, then it is most likely they will fight until one queen remains. In certain circumstances, it is possible that there can be multiple queens in a single colony if they are founding somewhat near each other and eventually their two tunnels connect.[citation needed] Under laboratory conditions, workers can live at least 4 years.
This massive insectoid robot is designed for long operations in remote locations. The 4 solar drums on its back absorb enough energy from the sun to keep its core functions online for extended periods, and waste products are expelled in a green acid that can be used offensively. We're gonna need a bigger can of bug spray!
More photos: www.instagram.com/p/BvrtPsoHkwv/
Spiffy reflections on (and from) the EMP, and some attempt at a nice composition with those dratted safety bars. This one's a tiny bit different, and it came out darker (showing the reflections on the sidewalk better). I can't decide which picture is best.
Ants & termite - Amazonian foothills, Ecuador
Some sort of unidentified ants with an unidentified dead or dying termite.
Peters' dwarf frog (Engystomops petersi) & termites - Yasuni National Park, Ecuador
A juvenile Engystomops overlooks an all you can eat smorgasbord of termites that were expanding their nest. The termite's activity attracted atleast two species of frogs with three individuals relentlessly consuming termites. Other predators were apparent as well such as spider and harvestmen. The frogs all ate many dozens or 100s of termites. However the termite colony will probably hardly notice the loss and daily life will continue as normal.
The Imperial City (Vietnamese: Kinh thành Huế) is a walled fortress and palace in the city of Huế, the former imperial capital of Vietnam.
In June 1802 Nguyễn Ánh took control of Vietnam and proclaimed himself Emperor Gia Long. His rule was recognized by China in 1804. Gia Long consulted with geomancers to decide which was the best place for a new palace and citadel to be built. After the geomancers had decided on a suitable site in Huế, building began in 1804. Thousands of workers were ordered to produce a wall and moat, 10 kilometers long. Initially the walls were earthen, but later these earthen walls were replaced by stone walls, 2 meters thick.
The citadel was oriented to face the Huong River to the east. This was different from the Forbidden City in Beijing, which faces south. The Emperor's palace is on the east side of the citadel, nearest the river. A second set of walls and a second moat was constructed around the Emperor's palace. Many more palaces and gates and courtyards and gardens were subsequently added. The reigns of the last Vietnamese Emperors lasted until the mid-1900s. At the time, the Purple Forbidden City had many buildings and hundreds of rooms. It suffered from termite and cyclone damage, but was still very impressive. Many bullet holes left over from the Vietnam War can be observed on the stone walls.
In the early morning hours of January 31, 1968, as part of the Tet Offensive a Division-sized force of North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong soldiers launched a coordinated attack on Huế seizing most of the city. During the initial phases of the Battle of Hue, due to Huế's religious and cultural status, US troops were ordered not to bomb or shell the city, for fear of destroying the historic structures; but as casualties mounted in house-to-house fighting these restrictions were progressively lifted and the fighting caused substantial damage to the Imperial City. Out of 160 buildings only 10 major sites remain because of the battle, such as the Thái Hòa and Cần Thanh temples, Thế Miếu, and Hiển Lâm Các. The city was made a UNESCO site in 1993. The buildings that still remain are being restored and preserved. The latest and so far the largest restoration project is planned to conclude in 2015.
Dotted Humming frog (Chiasmocleis ventrimaculata) & termites - Yasuni National Park, Ecuador
Sitting by a termite nest watched a pair of peters' dwarf frogs sitting on top of it picking off termites that were constructing their nest... I was surprised to see this 3rd frog hopping out of the dark and across the leaf litter directly towards the nest. It stopped at the edge and began to munch on the termites near ground level. It may not look it but it was voracious and a horribly efficient predator in no time it had eaten dozens of termites and there were none left lower down, it began moving up propping itself up against the nest grabbing termites that were higher up and would have been out of reach otherwise.