The only safe termites are those like my friends in this 1810 public domain termite drawing from Abbildungen naturhistorischer Gegenstände : No. 1-100. While many liken these wood-eating insects to ants, they are actually more closely related to cockroaches. Both are classified as belonging to the Blattodea order of insects.
Not sure how many folks would want a botanical print of termites, but I’ve found one for you if you’re looking. This drawing shows the typical members of a termite colony – the queen, winged, soldier and king. Interestingly enough, the queen and king mate for life. The lower castes within the colony feed on their nestmates to convert and recycle nitrogenous components. So, along with eating us out of house and home – these little buggers eat each other. Aren’t they just charming creatures?
Anyway, that’s enough chatter about these insects. In case you’re interested, there’s a larger version of this public domain termite drawing available. Just click on the image below to access it.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
