Termites (white termites) - Termites

Japanese: シロアリ(白蟻) - シロアリ

A general term for insects belonging to the order Termitidae (also called Isoptera). They are often confused with ants because they live in a social environment, but unlike ants, they undergo incomplete metamorphosis and are more similar to cockroaches in terms of classification. There are over 2,200 species worldwide, with many species found in tropical and subtropical regions. Some are well-known pests that damage houses, but in natural ecosystems they play an extremely important role as decomposers of plant remains. Their bodies are soft and milky white or light brown. Most are 5 to 10 mm long. They resemble ant societies in that alates (winged ants) appear during certain seasons, but they differ from ants in that a pair of alates (queen and king) builds a nest in a suitable location. The ovaries of the queens are enlarged, and some species can survive for several decades. They also differ from ants in that both soldier and worker ants are sexually hermaphrodite, but like ants, they are infertile. They use enzymes secreted by the protozoan Trichomycetes that live symbiotically in their intestines to break down plant cellulose and use it as nutrition. There are two types of termites: the Yamato Termite type, which builds nests directly inside wood, and the Formosan Termite type, which builds nests underground and connects to towers or wood on the ground through tunnels. There are many species in the tropics that eat living plants, and some are known to build large ant towers.

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

シロアリ目（等翅(とうし)目とも）に属する昆虫の総称。社会生活を営むのでアリ類と混同されやすいが，完全変態をするアリ類とは異なり不完全変態をし，分類上はゴキブリ類に近い。全世界に2200余種あり，熱帯や亜熱帯に種類が多い。家屋を食害する著名な害虫も含まれるが，自然の生態系では植物遺体の分解者としてきわめて重要な役割をもつ。体は軟弱で，乳白色または薄茶色。体長５〜10mmのものが多い。一定の季節に有翅虫（羽アリ）が現れる点でアリの社会に似ているが，有翅虫の雌雄（女王，王）１対で適所に営巣する点はアリと異なる。女王は卵巣が肥大し，種類によっては数十年間も生存する。兵アリ，働きアリともに雌雄両性がある点もアリと異なるが，生殖能力のない点はアリと同様である。植物のセルロースを腸内に共生する原生動物トリコニンファの分泌する酵素で分解して栄養とする。木材内に直接巣を作るヤマトシロアリ型と，土中に営巣し，そこから地上の塔や木材に坑道で連絡するイエシロアリ型とがある。熱帯には生きた植物を食べる種類も少なくなく，大きなアリの塔を作るものも知られる。

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