Hello Forum! It's time for another photogallery i say, and today's subject is a termite species that i always liked a lot and was esthatic to finally see: Jugositermes tuberculatus!
This is a species of central-African soil-feeding Apicotermitinae usually found at the base of large trees where it nests in an underground series of chambers connected by narrow tunnels. While the workers are very similar in appearance to those of most others of their subfamily, the soldiers are very peculiar: robust, armed with very thick mandibles but most impressively endowed with a pair of very conspicuous armored ridges running above the antennal sockets, which further strenghten the already well hardened head capsule.
But now, let's start with some pics:
Two soldiers of J. tuberculatus. Note their very robust build, the thick mandibles and the aforementioned armored ridges.
Soldiers of J. tuberculatus. Their powerful crushing-type mandibles and armored "shield-like" heads are employed to defend their colonies and especially the narrow galleries that connect the many underground rooms that make up their nests.
Workers and soldiers of J. tuberculatus. It's amazing to see the defensive specialization of the latter caste compared to the former and think they are not only the same species, but also sibilings!
A young but already physogastric queen of J. tuberculatus along with a soldier. While this species is quite common where it's found, the royals are much more rarely seen.
