Meet world's greatest insect architect

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Termites have never made it to the list of humans' favorite insects.

Around ten percent of the estimated 4,000 termite species are considered pests and can cause serious harm to human constructions.

However, they are, according to numerous studies, the earth's most important decomposers and are vital to our ecosystem. They are also the world's most creative tiny architects that can build a substantial amount of mounds that are even visible from the space.

Closeup of a termite worker /VCG Photo

An advanced insect society

Termites are sociable insects and have sophisticated social structures. In most termite colonies, there are four castes: the queen, the king, the workers, and the soldiers. Workers and soldiers are made up with sterile males and females. And the most fertile male and female are known as the "king" and the "queen."

The queen of a colony is responsible for egg production, and the king mates with her for life. The queen can lay up to 1,000 eggs a day in a mature colony. In many species, the queen can control the growth of sterile termites with pheromones it releases.

The swelling belly of a termite queen /VCG Photo

Sterile termites are wingless, but the new reproductive termites can fly. These young winged termites will leave the colony in search of new places to start their own colony. Once settled, they would break off their wings in their new home.

Worker termites are responsible for foraging, food storage, brooding and nest maintenance.

Soldiers have enlarged red heads while the workers have small pale heads. /VCG Photo

The soldiers' sole purpose is to defend the colony. They have large heads with highly enlarged jaws so they cannot feed themselves. Instead, like juveniles, they are fed by workers.

Tiniest architects, greatest decomposers

Termites feed on dead plants, such as rotten wood and leaves, soil, or animal excrement. The abundant cellulose that exists throughout plants is hard to decompose naturally. Termites are one of the few living creatures that possess the enzyme that helps break down cellulose. Therefore, they play a significant part in the carbon circulation of our planet.

Termite mounds in grasslands of Lakefield National Park, Australia /VCG Photo

Termites' excavation of soil and their own excrement form large dirt mounds. Generally, these mounds can reach up to nine meters. The tallest mound ever recorded was 12.8 meters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Termite mounds store nutrients and moisture and allow water to better penetrate the soil. /Photo by Robert Pringle, Princeton University Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology via VCG.

A recent research done by Princeton University shows that termite mounds are crucial in stopping the spread of deserts. Termite mounds store nutrients and moisture and allow water to better penetrate the soil through internal tunnels. As a result, vegetation flourishes around termite mounds in areas that are vulnerable to desertification.

A field of termite mounds in Emas National Park, Brazil /VCG Photo

In Brazil, researchers have recently found more than 200 million termite mounds dated to almost 4,000 years ago, a time when ancient Egyptians were still building their pyramids. The massive size of these termite mounds makes them visible from the space.

(Video edited by Zhao Yuxiang)