Which Animals Prey On Termites? | Termite Experts
Termites are a hated, yet well known, group of insects. When you hear about termites you are probably hearing about how these insects destroyed someone’s home. Termites are also well known for their survival abilities, and the interesting ways in which they fend off predators. But which animals serve as predators to termites?
Many animals that dwell within the same territory as termites rely on termite nests for food. In addition to termite nests, winged termites are also a major food source for many other animals. When winged termites take off from their well-developed mounds in order to establish new colonies elsewhere, their numbers are high. In fact, some experts believe that this high number of winged termites exist only so that some will be left over to start new colonies after repeated animal attacks.
The list of all the different animals that consume termites include snakes, birds, lizards, frogs and a variety of insects. The termite’s greatest enemy, however, is the ant. Ants are abundant in many of Africa’s savannah regions, and termites make this possible by being the primary food supply for ants in these regions. Ants are often bold enough to invade termite nests while termites are still living inside. Termites do the best the can to fight these invading ants, but sadly for the termites, they often lose battles to ants. Despite the ants repeated victories over termites, some termites are able to seal off a portion of their nest in order to prevent intrusion by ants.
Assassin bugs are also predators to termites. Assassin bugs are able to penetrate through tunnel walls within a termite’s nest. The assassin bugs accomplish this by using their unique elongated mouthparts. Once an assassin bug penetrates a wall, an assassin bug will use its long mouthparts to snag a termite, sucking the life out of it. In addition to other insects, termites are also preyed upon by several species of mammal, including marsupials and numbats.
Have you ever spotted a termite fighting another insect?
