"Exploding" Termite Species Discovered

ananyo writes "A species of termite found in the rainforests of French Guiana takes altruism seriously: aged workers grow sacks of toxic blue liquid that they explode onto their enemies in an act of suicidal self-sacrifice to help their colonies. The 'explosive backpacks' of Neocapritermes taracua grow throughout the lifetimes of the worker termites, filling with blue crystals secreted by a pair of glands on the insects' abdomens. Older workers carry the largest and most toxic backpacks. Those individuals also, not coincidentally, are the least able to forage and tend for the colony: their mandibles become dull and worn as the termites age, because they cannot be sharpened by moulting (abstract)."

I propose we name them...

[Anonymous Coward]

Banelings 1.0

maximum age crystals

[Anonymous Coward]

Scientists have discovered small crystals embedded in the ants' palms that turn to a different color when the ant's maximum age has been reached. However, in one colony they observed two ants trying to escape this fate by running away from the colony and finding sanctuary. Other ants were tasks with hunting down the two runners and terminating them.

This close...

[TheInternetGuy]

I was this close ( > ) to start mocking the submitter about misspelling Thermite. Luckily, for once I did read TFS.

Obligatory:

[Hartree]

"We are the Judean People's Front crack suicide squad! "

Annnnd...

[Nidi62]

Boom goes the termite.

Re:They don't explode in the video

[Megahard]

There's plenty other videos on the internet of things swelling up, dribbling, and exploding.

Agism in the Workplace?

[Tablizer]

Older workers carry the largest and most toxic backpacks. Those individuals also, not coincidentally, are the least able to forage and tend for the colony: their mandibles become dull and worn as the termites age

"and get off my #@!& lawn!" KABOOOM!
   

Re:The suicide bombers of the insect world.

[Tablizer]

no, they just want the pleasures of 72 maggots.

Suicide bombing by the elderly? Blue crystals?

[Ellis D. Tripp]

Sounds like these little guys have been watching too much Breaking Bad....

Re:maximum age crystals

[mcneely.mike]

There is no sanctuary

But there is a wonderful older ant with a snow white beard who loves kisses and tickling and little girl ants that look like cats and....

Re:maximum age crystals

[dragisha]

Scientists have discovered small crystals embedded in the ants' palms that turn to a different color when the ant's maximum age has been reached. However, in one colony they observed two ants trying to escape this fate by running away from the colony and finding sanctuary. Other ants were tasks with hunting down the two runners and terminating them.

I heard they termitted them, eventually.

Re:Exploding ants

[Anonymous Coward]

So basically what you're saying is, in order to create banelings, they ... require more minerals?