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Nasute termites

Description:

Nasute termites (Isoptera: Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae) emerging from a broken "shelter tube". In this spotting the shelter tube reaches right to the top of this tall tree (see last photo). These termites are seeking out dead branches. They do not attack the live tissue. All the Nasute species can be recognized by their soldiers having a pointed snout at the front of their heads, called a nasus. See http://www.termiteweb.com/the-nasutiterm...

Habitat:

Observed on a large flamboyant tree (Delonix regia) in a large semi-urban yard and garden, near a disturbed patch of remnant equatorial lowland forest. This is in the equatorial tropics of northern New Guinea.

Notes:

Yes, I created the breach to see the termites, which immediately set about to repair it, and they succeeded in short order.

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4 Comments

Scott Frazier
Scott Frazier 9 years ago

:-)

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 9 years ago

Missed it! Wonderful.. Sometimes scientifiic breaches are invaluable.

Scott Frazier
Scott Frazier 10 years ago

Thanks! I don't know about the other islands, but I have never seen nor is my wife aware of people eating them here in Papua. That doesn't mean there aren't any more isolated groups that do eat them. I have drunk a medicinal tea made from boiling sections of "ant nest" although I'm not sure if it was of ant or termite origin.

Tiz
Tiz 10 years ago

Very interesting specimen and information! Are termites eaten in indonesia as well? (by humans that is)

Scott Frazier
Spotted by
Scott Frazier

Indonesia

Spotted on Oct 30, 2013
Submitted on Oct 30, 2013

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