Can You Eat Termite Queen?
WouterTermites are insects that have been munching on wood and other substances for millions of years. Despite being an ancient creature, termites are now considered a delicacy in many countries. For example, the Yoruba royals of Benin and the Macu Indians of Uganda eat termites as part of their diet.
The queen termite is a large creature with a pulsating liquid inside its abdomen. It is usually four inches long and has a transparent abdominal wall.
The termite queen is the egg-laying machine of the colony. During mating season, a queen produces between 10 and 20 eggs. The number increases as the queen gets older. After a few years, a queen may lay upwards of 30,000 eggs a day.
When the queen dies, her reproductives will take over the throne. They can develop into full-fledged, winged adults. However, the reproductives are destined to leave the nest during the colonising flight.
The worker termites tend to the queen’s eggs and larvae. Once the baby termites have developed, they start their own colonies. In some species, the workers are sterile.
The termite’s ability to lay eggs is only one of the creature’s many interesting attributes. It is also important because the queen termite regulates the production of these eggs. It has a translucent skin and a head that is attached to a very large abdomen. The ovipositor, which is the organ used to lay eggs, extends to the length of the queen’s index finger.
