Describe social behavior in Termites that differs from that in ants and bees. Solution Among the various insects there are few species which can be termed as social or \'eusocial\'. This particular attribute is chracterized by certain traits such as: 1. Reproductive division of labour 2. Co-operative brood care 3. Carry out different functions necessary for the survival of the colony. 4. Social insects are organized into different \'castes\' depending on their roles. 5. They are mainly able to communicate through pheromones. But in spite of similar social behavioural patterns there are certain differences which are listed below in tabular format. Difference as per social behaviour Termite Ants Bees The worker caste in termites are generally sexually undeveloped male or female The worker caste in ants are generally sexually undeveloped female The worker bees are sterile female. The worker termites carry out a range of duties – They are essentially builders, miners and midwives rolled into one The worker ants look after the queen, care for the young, forage for food The worker bees produce and shape the wax honeycomb The soldier termites are both male and female but sexually underdeveloped The soldier ants are all female The soldier/ worker bees are all sterile female The winged termites also mate. But they do not die after mating. The winged drone ants are the only male in the colony and they die once they are mated Virgin queens go on mating flights away from their home colony to a drone congregation area, and mate with multiple drones before returning. The drones die in the act of mating Incomplete metamorphosis: egg, nymph, adult (no pupal stage) Complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult Complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult Termites basically live on plant tissue. Ants are generally scavenger in nature and foraging to gather different foods depending on species and habitat Bees mainly forage into the nectar of flowers and process them into honey Termites can not sting Most ants can sting and they can withdraw the stinger from the victim\'s body and can perform the stinging repeatedly without hurting themselves Bees can also sting but it is suicidal for them since once they sting they stinger gets lodged in the victim\'s body and the venom sack comes out of the bee\'s body thereby resulting in its death Difference as per social behaviour Termite Ants Bees The worker caste in termites are generally sexually undeveloped male or female The worker caste in ants are generally sexually undeveloped female The worker bees are sterile female. The worker termites carry out a range of duties – They are essentially builders, miners and midwives rolled into one The worker ants look after the queen, care for the young, forage for food The worker bees produce and shape the wax honeycomb The soldier termites are both male and female but sexually underdeveloped The soldier ants are all female The soldier/ worker bees are all sterile female T.

1. Describe social behavior in Termites that differs from that in ants and bees.
Solution
Among the various insects there are few species which can be termed as social or 'eusocial'.
This particular attribute is chracterized by certain traits such as:
1. Reproductive division of labour
2. Co-operative brood care
3. Carry out different functions necessary for the survival of the colony.
4. Social insects are organized into different 'castes' depending on their roles.
5. They are mainly able to communicate through pheromones.
But in spite of similar social behavioural patterns there are certain differences which are listed
below in tabular format.
Difference as per social behaviour
Termite
Ants
Bees
The worker caste in termites are generally sexually undeveloped male or female
The worker caste in ants are generally sexually undeveloped female
The worker bees are sterile female.
The worker termites carry out a range of duties – They are essentially builders, miners and
midwives rolled into one
The worker ants look after the queen, care for the young, forage for food
The worker bees produce and shape the wax honeycomb
The soldier termites are both male and female but sexually underdeveloped
The soldier ants are all female
The soldier/ worker bees are all sterile female
The winged termites also mate. But they do not die after mating.
The winged drone ants are the only male in the colony and they die once they are mated
Virgin queens go on mating flights away from their home colony to a drone congregation area,
and mate with multiple drones before returning. The drones die in the act of mating
Incomplete metamorphosis: egg, nymph, adult (no pupal stage)
Complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult
Complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult
Termites basically live on plant tissue.

2. Ants are generally scavenger in nature and foraging to gather different foods depending on
species and habitat
Bees mainly forage into the nectar of flowers and process them into honey
Termites can not sting
Most ants can sting and they can withdraw the stinger from the victim's body and can perform
the stinging repeatedly without hurting themselves
Bees can also sting but it is suicidal for them since once they sting they stinger gets lodged in the
victim's body and the venom sack comes out of the bee's body thereby resulting in its death
Difference as per social behaviour
Termite
Ants
Bees
The worker caste in termites are generally sexually undeveloped male or female
The worker caste in ants are generally sexually undeveloped female
The worker bees are sterile female.
The worker termites carry out a range of duties – They are essentially builders, miners and
midwives rolled into one
The worker ants look after the queen, care for the young, forage for food
The worker bees produce and shape the wax honeycomb
The soldier termites are both male and female but sexually underdeveloped
The soldier ants are all female
The soldier/ worker bees are all sterile female
The winged termites also mate. But they do not die after mating.
The winged drone ants are the only male in the colony and they die once they are mated
Virgin queens go on mating flights away from their home colony to a drone congregation area,
and mate with multiple drones before returning. The drones die in the act of mating
Incomplete metamorphosis: egg, nymph, adult (no pupal stage)
Complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult
Complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult
Termites basically live on plant tissue.
Ants are generally scavenger in nature and foraging to gather different foods depending on
species and habitat
Bees mainly forage into the nectar of flowers and process them into honey
Termites can not sting
Most ants can sting and they can withdraw the stinger from the victim's body and can perform
the stinging repeatedly without hurting themselves

3. Bees can also sting but it is suicidal for them since once they sting they stinger gets lodged in
the victim's body and the venom sack comes out of the bee's body thereby resulting in its death