image: 3D computed tomographic reconstructions of an Apicotermes lamani nest. These images reveal beautiful spiral staircases and the sophisticated harmony of the nest architecture in which regularly spaced floors delimiting chambers are connected by linear and helical ramps. view more
Credit: Image credit: Guy Theraulaz/CNRS, CRCA, CBI, Toulouse.
A newly developed mathematical model helps explain the intricate architecture of termite nests and how they are built. The nest of the African termite is excavated underground by the colony. Alexander Heyde and colleagues explored how the feedback loop between individual termite behavior and the changing structure of the nest during the construction period leads to a self-organized architecture. The authors visualized the interior structures of two collected nests using CT scans, quantifying the spacing and arrangement of floors and the linear and spiral ramps between floors. Then, using the experimentally-observed fact that pheromones secreted by the termites serve as indicators of previous activity in the environment and provide a cue for building action, the authors developed a mathematical model of nest construction that is dependent on the spatio-temporal evolution of the density of termite workers, density of nest material, and concentration of pheromone. Simulations of the model showed that nests spontaneously reproduced the consistent vertical spacing of floors and the horizontal spacing of ramps and reflected the process of nest building. According to the authors, the study highlights how these natural architectures are collectively built via multi-scale processes linking physics and behavior, with potential relevance to fields like swarm robotics.
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Article #20-06985: "Self-organized biotectonics of termite nests," by Alexander Heyde, Lijie Guo, Christian Jost, Guy Theraulaz, and L. Mahadevan.
MEDIA CONTACT: L. Mahadevan, Harvard University; Cambridge, MA ; tel: 1-617-496-9599; email: <lmahadev@g.harvard.edu>
Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences