Brood war. Ants against termites.

Families of termites and family of ants, in many respects similar, resist each other since the time of dinosaurs, being incessantly improved in defense and attack, in the attack and protection, or perhaps and other interactions about which we don't know yet.
Termites stake on narrow specialization, in a termitary can at the same time is up to 30 various individuals. Yes, in case of big losses one expert won't be able to replace another, but unless it matters if the queen produces 35 thousand eggs a day?
Infighting unit.

Disproportionately huge head with the mighty jaws capable not only to have a bite an ant in half, but also to force to suffer a vertebrate, powerful front armor – but a soft paunch. It is ideal in defense of corridors and entrance openings.

Unit of distant fight - a nazuta.

Klizmogolovy of a nazuta throws out the sticky liquid which is holding down the movement in the enemy and ants are afraid of this attack much more, than terrible jaws of ordinary soldiers.
Unit - the kamikaze.

Workers of some species of termites are capable to accumulate the toxic enzymes rich with connection copper (blue kristallik for a photo). When termite the enemy begins to bite, he literally explodes, drenching the enemy with a cloudlet of poisonous liquid. With probability of 52% the aggressor will be bent, paralysis comes in 22% of explosions.
Chemical weapon. (the picture won't be)
The Taiwan underground termite of Coptotermes formosanus poisons the ants which have got to his nest with naphthalene. Somehow they develop it and cover with it nest walls. That concentration of naphthalene which doesn't harm a termite, causes paralysis in an ant.

Ants stake on universality. The same unit can carry out duties of the worker and the soldier. Fights in infighting, possesses the remote attack.


Important advantage - ability to act together. Unlike the blind opponent giving signals only pheromones, ants possess the system of visual signals, and, as a result, well coordinated divisions.

This termite is already recorded, now it will be sorted on the spare part.
Usually ants possess similar dimensions in family, but there are also exceptions as Pheidologeton diversus. Their small workers of only 1,3-2,5 mm in length, and large soldiers reach 1 cm.


The most fierce battles begin during marriage summer of termites or when the dome of a termitary is destroyed. Ants are stung and paralyzed the victims, and then carried away, having clamped in the jaws, trying to take winged individuals – they are more nutritious. Having delivered live production in an ant hill, the ant bites off it legs and in such look throws into a heap of the trophies brought by other hunters – so production and after effect of poison won't leave and will remain fresh.


Both parties are numerous, prolific, ready to sacrifice separate units in glory of a swarm. War lasts already one hundred millions years and the end to it it isn't visible.