American harvester termite

The American harvester termite (Neohodotermes sierratensis) is a species of termite that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the open woodlands, grasslands, shrublands, and scrublands across North America to help boost biodiversity. The American harvester termites, like true harvester termites of Africa and Asia, have serrated inner edges to their mandibles, and all castes have functional compound eyes. They forage for grass at night and during the day, and their pigmented workers are often observed outside the nest. They nest by excavating in the soil, and the diffuse subterranean system of the American harvester termites may contain several spherical hives which may be 60 centimeters in diameter. They are interconnected by galleries and are located from near the surface to more than 6 m deep. Loose particles of excavated soil are brought to the surface and dumped at various points around the nest. The diet of the American harvester termite consists primarily of ripe and/or frost- or drought-killed grass, though tree and shrub material is consumed to a lesser degree. In this species, the sixth instar larvae digest and distribute food within the colony by means of stomodeal trophallaxis. The mutual feeding also reinforces the colony's integrity, as the feeders discriminate against individuals with unfamiliar intestinal microbiota. The foraging worker caste of American harvester termite consists of two types, named "small" and "large", and the larger workers are characterized by very large flattened heads. Soldiers of the genus stay near the nest, and are not known to accompany workers on their expeditions. The American harvester termite is known to exhibit a seasonal cycle in its activities, which involves intensive diurnal winter surface foraging followed by a shift to sporadic nocturnal foraging at the beginning of the rainy season. With the advent of spring a shift from a diurnal to a nocturnal foraging pattern is evident. Some three to five days after the first major rains, swarms of flying termites, alates (winged reproductives) emerge from their underground nests during summer evenings. When sufficiently distant from the parent nest, they land, shrug off their wings, and scout about for a mate. The pair then excavates a burrow to start a new colony. A week after swarming, the female lays her first eggs, which are tended by the couple, a task soon taken over by the maturing workers. After some four months, the nest is sufficiently developed to send foraging workers to the surface. For the next few years, most of the eggs develop into workers and a small number of soldiers. When the nest is sufficiently large, winged reproductives again develop. The American harvester termite has many of the insectivorous predators such as American aardwolves and among others. The conservation status of the American harvester termite is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the American harvester termite's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.