Nature:
A species of termite has been found to use a sophisticated
system for fighting off its enemies: The older workers serve as
suicide bombers. Researchers led by Robert Hanus of the
Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry in Prague,
Czech Republic,
have
published the results of their study of
Neocapritermes taracua, a termite found in the
rainforests of French Guiana. As the worker termites age, they
develop pouches containing blue crystals secreted by a pair of
glands on their abdomens. When the termites are bitten by their
enemies, the pouches burst and the crystals mix with the
insects' saliva, which produces a toxic blue liquid. In this
way, although older termites are less able to forage, they can
still prove useful to their colony.
