Termites are among the most successful animals on Earth, forming vast societies that can number in the millions. But how did such complex social systems evolve from solitary ancestors that looked much ...

Physogastric termite queen (top left) of Macrotermes michaelseni being groomed by workers and the larger king, with soldiers in the foreground. Photo by Jan Sobotnik. Termites are among the most ...

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American There’s an anime-style visual ...

A queen Oecophylla smaragdina ant Didier Descouens via Wikimedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 Small animals don’t usually grow very old. Since they’re always at risk of becoming another critter’s quick snack, ...

Thorne, Barbara. 1985. "Termite polygyny: the ecological dynamics of queen mutualism." In Experimental Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology: In Memoriam Karl von ...

Termites are one of the most financially devastating insects. The significant damage they cause to homes and outdoor ...

Physogastric termite queen (top left) of Macrotermes michaelseni being groomed by workers and the larger king, with soldiers in the foreground. Photo by Jan Sobotnik. Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert!