Termite Soldier - Isoptera

Termites are eusocial insects with a caste system. Soldiers, as pictured here, have one main function: to defend the nest. Their heads are so altered that many of them can't even feed themselves, but have to be fed by workers via trophallaxis. Trophallaxis means that the worker regurgitates into the soldier's mouth (can also be done through the anus in other insects). Food and information via pheromones are passed along in the 'vomit'.

Termites are ecologically significant and incredibly successful insects. They feed on dead plant material and cellulose, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung. They are crucial recyclers of wood and plant matter.

Fun fact: Termites produce 3% of all methane emissions on Earth. That equals up to 20 million tons of methane each year that comes out of the rear ends of termites. They fart a lot. But, the good news is that a lot of the methane is filtered by the mounds that they live in! The mounds have methanotrophic bacteria in the walls, which ingest the methane, thus preventing it from polluting the air.