title: Explosive backpacks in old termite workers.
abstract: By nature, defensive behavior is risky. In social insects, such behavior is more likely to occur in individuals whose potential for other tasks is diminished. We show that workers of the termite Neocapritermes taracua develop an exceptional two-component suicidal apparatus consisting of copper-containing protein crystals, stored in external pouches, and internal salivary glands. During aggressive encounters, their bodies rupture, and the crystals react with the salivary gland secretion to produce a toxic droplet. Both the amount of defensive substances and the readiness to explode increase with workers' age, as their food-collecting ability declines.
authors: Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 166 10 Prague, Czech Republic.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Šobotník
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Bourguignon
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Hanus
authors: Z
authors: Z
authors: Demianová
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Pytelková
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Mareš
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Foltynová
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Preisler
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Cvačka
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Krasulová
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Roisin
mesh_terms: D000374:Aggression; D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D003460:Crystallization; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D020049:Isoptera / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019476:Insect Proteins; D003300:Copper