ADAPTATION

Adaptation is defined as the possession of special features or structure which improves the
changes of an organism to survive in its environment. In other words, adaptation is the ability of
an organism to live successfully in a particular habitat as a result of its structure, appearance
and behaviour.
It is expected that every organism must adapt to its environment in order to survive. Organisms
generally have features- structural (morphological) and behavioural features which enable
them to live successfully in a given habitat. Such features which enable organisms live well in a
habitat are called adaptive features

COMPETITION
Competition is defined as the interaction between members of the same population or
species, occupying the same trophic level, to obtain mutually needed resources that are short in
supply in their environment. In other words, it refers to the process by which living organisms in
a habitat struggle or compete with one another for such limited essential needs in the
environment,e.g. food,light, nutrients, mates,shelter and space.

FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPETITION

The major factors or reasons for competitions is the need for organisms to share favourable
conditions and scarce resources in their environment.
The reasons for competition among plants include:
(i) Inadequate light
(ii) Inadequate space
(iii) Inadequate nutrients
(iv Insufficient water

Competition is much pronounced when environmental resources needed for the organism's
survival are very limited. During competition, few organisms which are well adapted control the
scarce resources which enable them to grow and survive while the others neither grow nor
survive, leading to their elimination.
TYPES OF COMPETITION
There are two main types of competition. These are intra- specific and interspecific
competitions.
Intraspecific
Intra-specific competition is also called intra-species competition. This is the type of competition
between individuals of the same species or kind. In other words,when competition is between
members of the same species,it is called intra-species competition. Examples of intra-species
competition are:
(i)maize seedlings in a nursery,
(ii)a population of laboratory rats in a cage,
(iii)a flock of domestic fowls in a deep litter house.

Interspecific competition
Interspecific competition is also called inter-species competition. This is the type of
compensation which exists between individuals of different species. Examples are'
(I).Mango plants and grasses:The mango plants due to their large size and numerous
branches and leaves are capable of eliminating the grasses by depriving them of nutrients,
space and light.
(ii) Iroko tree and terminalia in a forest competing for light.
(iii) Competition between a herd of cattle and a herd of antelopes on a grazing land.

Relationship between competition and succession

In succession, habitats which are newly formed are gradually colonized by different plant
species step by step until a relatively stable community is established and later the habitat will
be inhabited by animals. The change in a population caused by the replacement of the old
members or the addition of the new ones as a result of competition called succession.
As soon as a habitat is established, competition sets in. Be it intra-species or inter-species
competition, members of the more successful species grow bigger and occupy more space or
obtain more resources than members of the less-successful species become eliminated as a
result of competition. In a habitat, plants and animals which make up the community undergo a
series of changes with time. This process of change can be seen if an abandoned farmland is
observed for several years. The species which first colonized the habitat would normally give
way to other species. These species in turn give way to other species as a result of competition.
The process continues until a stable community is established.
Competition plays a part in determining the pattern in which species succeed one another in a
habitat. The early inhabitants modify the habitat by their activities,and the late arrivals appear to
be better able to compete and outgrow the previous inhabitants which gradually lose out, get
reduced in number and finally become eliminated.

STRUCTURAL ADAPTATION
Structural adaptation are special modifications of structures which help organisms to survive
better in their various environments. Some examples of structural adaptations are described
below:
Structural Adaptation for obtaining Food
(a)By toad
(i)The toad possesses a special olfactory organ in the head for perceiving the odour of its food.
(ii)It has the ability to draw eyes in so that they make bulges in the roof of the mouth which helps
to prevent their prey from escaping or helps in swallowing.
(iii)The tongue is attached to the front of the mouth which can easily be extended to capture or
trap their prey.
(iv)The tongue is long and sticky to help hold the prey.
(v)The tongue is long to help catch the prey.
(b)By Bird
Birds have structural adaptation (beaks) and feet which enable them to obtain food.
(i) Carnivorous birds such as eagles have powerful, sharp, curved beaks for killing and rearing
the flesh of their prey which include small birds,e g.chicks,rats,toads and lizards.
(ii)They have sharp, strong, curved claws for catching, gripping and killing the prey.
(iii) Grain eating birds like the domestic fowls have short horny beaks for picking at the grains.
They also possess short, blunt and strong claws on their toes for scratching the soil.
(iv)The filter-feeding birds such as the water duck have beaks with serrated edges for sieving
out food from water into the mouth. They also have webbed feet for swimming in the water.
(v) Insect eaters, such as the woodpeckers have long, slender, pointed beaks for picking insects
from the cracks and holes in the barks of the trees.
(vi) Nectar-sucking birds, such as the humming bird and sunbird, have long-hollow beaks with
tubular tongues for sucking nectar from flowers.
(vii)Fish eaters, such as the kingfisher and heron, have long pointed beaks for killing and picking
fish from the water and long feet for wading in the water
(viii)Seed eaters such as the parrots have strong, short and hooked beaks for cracking hard
seeds. Weaver birds on the other hand have short, strong and conical beaks for picking up
small seeds.
(c)By Insects
Insects have structural adaptation for obtaining food in different ways based on the type of
mouthparts.
(i) Biting and chewing mouthparts
These are found in cockroaches, grasshoppers, termites, locusts,etc. They possess strong
mandibles and maxillae (mouth parts) which enable them to bite and chew plant parts.
(ii) Piercing and sucking mouth parts:These are found in aphids, mosquitoes, cotton
stainers,mealy bugs and capsids or mirids. These insects possess strong mouthparts called
proboscis which enable them to pierce through the skin and suck blood,e.g.mosquitoes, while
others use the proboscis to pierce through plants and suck liquid materials from plant tissues.
(iii) Sucking mouth parts:These are mainly found in butterflies and bees. They also possess
long, coiled proboscis which enable them to suck nectars from the flowers of plants. Houseflies
equally are sucking insects but they only suck liquid food using their mouth parts.
(iv) Boring mouthparts:These are found mainly in weevils and their larvae. They bore into
plant parts and stored products and destroy the tissues as they feed on them.

(d)By insectivorous plants:These are plants that feed on insects. They have special structural
adaptive features for obtaining food.
(i)Utricularia species:The utricularia species or bladderworts which live in ponds and slow-
flowing streams are capable of catching insects and other small organisms by means of their
bladders. Each bladder has sensitive hairs near a trap door which is normally closed. When an
insect touches the sensitive hairs,the trap door suddenly opens inwards. Water carries the
insect into the bladder as the trap door closes, and the Insect is digested inside the bladder.
(ii)Drosera species:The drosera species or sundew has leaves which bear tentacles that
secrete a clear, shiny and sticky liquid. This liquid attracts insects. When an insect rests on the
leaf, the leaf curls. As the insect struggles, it stimulates the tentacles which bend over and
entangle it. Glands between the tentacles secrete enzymes which digest the Insect. The
products of digestion are later absorbed into the plants.

Structural adaptation for protection and defence

 Some animals have structural adaptive features which enable them to protect and defend
themselves against their enemies. Examples of such animals are:
(i) Snakes:The snakes attack their enemies or defend themselves by biting and injecting their
venom into the victim. They can also attack their enemies by spitting venom into their eyes.
(ii).Bees and wasps:Bees and wasps have stings for attacking their enemies or persons who
intrude into their nests.
(iii)Birds:Birds have wings with strong muscles which enable them to fly away from predators.
(iv).Praying mantis:The praying mantis has sharp spines on the first pairs of legs which it uses
to attack and kill insects on which it feeds. It also uses these legs to defend itself.
(v).Scorpions: These scorpions use stings to attack their prey or defend themselves.

Adaptation for protection by Toad

(i)The toads produce distasteful or foul smelling chemicals which make their predators keep
away from them.
(ii) The skin is slimy with mucous glands which makes the animal difficult to be caught by
predators.
(iii) Slimy fluids keep the skin moist and prevent the skin from drying out.
(iv)Toad has poison glands on the skin which is poisonous and distasteful to the predators.
(v) Brownish colour or cryptic colouration which helps it to blend with the colour of the
surrounding and this prevents them from being noticed by enemies or predators.
vi)The colour can be altered to match the type of background.

Adaptation for Movement by Toad

(i)A toad has a long hind limb with powerful muscles which enable it to hop /jump effectively
away from predators on land.
(ii)Its absence of tail facilitates hopping and jumping movement.
(iii)Webbed hind limbs can be used as paddles for efficient swimming in water.
(iv)The stout or short nature of its forelimbs absorb shock on landing and for propping up the
front end of the body on landing after a jumping hop.
(v)It has a streamlined body for easy movement and swimming.

Structural Adaptation to attract mates

Animals and plants possess special adaptive features which enable them to attract their mates
for the purpose of reproduction. Examples of organisms and their structural adaptations to
attract mates include:
(i)Agama lizard:The adult male Agama lizard is brightly coloured. The male lizard displays itself
under the sun, to attract female lizards for mating.
(ii)Toad:The males have nuptial pads on their thumbs with which they hold the females firmly
during mating.
(iii)Birds:Male domestic fowls and peacocks are brightly coloured with beautiful feathers. The
males make special feather displays to attract mating partners.
(iv) Flowering plants:The bright colouration of flowers attract insects which pollinate the
flowers.
Adaptation of tapeworm to the gut of man
(i) Tapeworm possesses hooks on the scolex for attachment to gut wall
(ii)It possesses suckers for attachment to the gut wall.
(iii)It has a ribbon-like, flat or tape-like body to fit into the gut of the host.
(iv)It has a fast rate of proliferation of proglottids to ensure survival of the organisms or ensure
perpetuation of the species.
(v)Large surface area of its body allows absorption of food from the gut.
(vi)It is a hermaphrodite and this allows successful sexual reproduction.
(vii) The surface of its body is thin and permeable and allows rapid absorption of food.
(viii)The wall of its body is resistant to digestion by host digestive enzymes.
(ix) Mature proglottids loaded with eggs are detached and expelled with faeces of the host for
dispersal.

Structural Adaptation to regulate Body temperature

Mammals and birds are known to regulate their body temperatures so that their respective body
temperatures remain more or less constant. Constant body temperature is necessary for normal
functioning of organs and tissues in the body.
Based on their ability to regulate their body temperature, vertebrates are grouped into two
namely;
(i) Homeothermic animals: Homeothermic animals have constant body temperature. In other
words,the body temperature does not change with the temperature of the environment.
Examples are found in mammals and birds.
(ii) Poikilothermic animals: Poikilothermic animals do not have constant body temperature;the
body temperature changes with the temperature of the environment. Examples are found in
fishes, amphibians and reptiles.
Structural adaptation of some animals to regulate body temperature are discussed below:
Adaptation by Mammals
(i)The hair encloses a layer of still air around the body. This layer of air acts as an insulator
which reduces heat loss from the body. The layer of air also reduces the rate at which sweat
evaporates from the body. The slower the rate of sweat evaporation from the body,the slower
the rate of heat loss from the body.
When the weather is cold, the hairs stand almost erect and enclose a thicker layer of air.
When it's warm, the hairs stand at an angle and enclose a thinner layer of air. The hairs
regulate the thickness of the layer of air above the skin and hence the rate of heat loss from the
body.
(ii)The fat layer under the skin is a poor conductor of heat, this reduces heat loss from the body.
(iii)The sweat glands in the skin makes it possible for sweat to be produced. Evaporation of the
sweat from the skin brings about heat loss.
(iv)The skin also has a large surface area for heat loss through radiation.

Adaptation by birds
(i) Feathers on the skin enclose air which forms an insulator around the bird. This insulator
reduces heat loss from the body.
(ii)The subcutaneous fat in the bird forms a layer of insulation which reduces heat loss from the
body.
(iii)Regular flight by birds helps to generate heat which keeps the body temperature fairly
constant.

Structural Adaptation for water conservation

Some plants and animals have adaptive features which enable them to conserve water. Plants
which do not have access to sufficient water are called xerophytes.
Adaptation by plants
(i)Plants have well developed root systems which provide large surface area for water
absorption.
(ii)They possess chlorophyllous stems which photosynthesize.
(iii)Some plants have swollen stems or leaves that act as storage organs.
(iv) Some plants have thick or waxy cuticles which reduce the rate of transpiration.
(v)Most plants have thick bark or cork which resist temperature or transpiration.
(vi) Some plants have sunken stomata to reduce transpiration rate.
(vii) There is a reduced number of stomata to reduce transpiration rate.
(viii) Some plants have small or needle-like leaves to reduce transpiration.
(ix)Some plants have drought resistant protoplasm which can tolerate high loss of water without
being damaged.
(x) Some plants have surface roots to enable them to absorb maximum moisture.
(xi) Some plants possess rolling or folding leaves which reduce transpiration.

Adaptation by Animals
(i)Some animals,e.g. Agama lizards, snakes,etc possess scales on the skin which reduce water
loss from the body.
(ii) Some animals like land snails possess shells which help them to reduce evaporation of
water from the body.
(iii) Some animals like cockroaches and grasshoppers possess exoskeletons made of chitin
which help them to reduce water loss from the body.
(iv) Some animals like pigeons possess feathers on the skin which help them to reduce water
evaporation from the skin.
(v) Other animals like sheep and cattle have hairs on their skin which help them to reduce water
loss from the skin.

Adaptive Colouration
Adaptive colouration is the possession by an organism of a colour which enables it to catch its
prey, avoid its predators or enemies and ensure its survival. In order to obtain food, escape or
hide from their enemies and secure mates, many organisms possess attractive colours and
special patterns or markings on their bodies. Both plants and animals exhibit adaptive
colouration.

Examples of adaptive colouration in animals

(i)Warning colouration:A warning colouration is one that scares away the animal's enemies or
predators. The attractive colouration of some animals serves as a warning to predators that are
unpalatable. Their distinctive colours or markings protect them from attack. For examples:
(i)the black and yellow colour of variegated grasshopper.
(ii)the black and yellow bands of wasps.
(iii)the lady bird (beetle)

(ii)Batesian mimicry: Batesian mimicry is a condition in which a harmless organism resembles

a distasteful or harmful one so that its enemies would avoid it. In other words, mimicry is the
resemblance of an animal called a mimic to another different object, the model, in order to
increase its chances of survival. For example, a palatable animal is protected from its predators
by resembling (mimicking) a distasteful species with warning colouration. Mimics obtain
protection by looking like dangerous or distasteful organisms which are naturally unrelated.
Examples are:
(i)The swallow-tail butterfly has red colouration on the wing like a distasteful one
(ii)The stick insect resembles dead twigs.
(iii)The katydid, a grasshopper which mimics a living leaf.

(iii) Camouflage: Camouflage is a concealing colouration which matches the colour of the
background. Many animals are protected from their predators by the close matching of their
body appearance with their surrounding background. Examples:
(i) Grasshoppers have green pigments in their cuticles.
(ii)Green snakes also have green pigments on their skin
This green colouration of the body makes it difficult for their enemies to recognize them within
green grasses.
(iv) Mating colouration:The conspicuous skin colouration in the adult males helps the adult
females to select males of their own species for mating. This enables the products of such
mating to survive.
(v) Countershading: Countershading is the possession of two distinct colours (dorsal and
ventral) by some organisms to match the colours of their environment such that when the
organism is viewed by its predator from above or below, it cannot be seen. Animals with such
different colours are said to be counter shaded.
In tilapia fish for example, the dark dorsal colour tends to blend with dark coloured water
bottom and the silvery white ventral surface blends with the sky colour above them. This
protects them from predators looking at them from above or below.
(v) Changing of body colour:This is the ability of some organisms to change the colour of their
body to look like that of the environment. For example, the chameleon can change its body
colour in seconds to look like the environment. The grasshoppers can also change their colours
from green in the rainy seasons when the grasses are green to brown. These colour changes in
the body to resemble that of the environment conceal these animals from being noticed by their
enemies or predators.

Adaptive Colouration in Plants

Some plants also have adaptive colouration which enable them to carry out specific functions
such as:
(i) Pollination:Many insect-pollinated flowers are brightly coloured so as to attract insects that
pollinate the flowers.
(ii) Feedings: Some insectivorous plants such as nepenthes and sarracenia have brightly
coloured pictures which attract insects that may fall into pitchers, drown in the liquid in them and
get digested.

Behavioural Adaptation
Behaviour is everything an organism does in response to changes in its environment. It is
basically adaptive, geared mainly towards promoting the organism's survival and reproduction.
Examples of behavioural adaptations are grouped and explained below:
Behavioural adaptation in predators (carnivores)
(i) Setting a trap:The ant-lion digs a conical hole in the ground and waits at the bottom of the
hole for the prey to fall in. The spider spins web and waits for the prey to be caught in it.
(ii) Overtaking prey by speed:A lion or leopard chases its prey and overtakes it by speed, it
catches the prey and kills it.
(iii) Lying in ambush:The praying mantis remains in hiding, waiting for the prey to come within
striking distance. Snakes also lay in ambush for their prey.

2.Behavioural adaptations to protect prey from predators

a) Hiding: A grass-cutter being chased by a hunter may suddenly stop running and hide in a
small bush, where it is difficult to discover it.
b) Remaining motionless:When a moving land snail is touched, it retracts into its shell and
remains motionless.
c) Feigning death:If one steps on a moving millipede,the millipede stops moving,rolls up and
feigns death.
d) Swaying in the air:Bats hold on to branches of trees,head upside down and sway in the air,
like leaves. By so doing,they escape being noticed by predators.
e) Secretion of an offensive smell: Some beetles and bugs secrete an offensive smell when
attacked. This smell scares away their predators or enemies. Cockroaches also behave this
way.
f) Secretion of irritating liquid:A toad secretes an irritating liquid when hit with a stick or
attacked by a predator.
g) Swelling up: A toad puffs itself up, and by doing so becomes difficult to be swallowed by a
predator.
h) Retraction into a burrow: When feeding, the earthworm leaves its hind part in the burrow
while looking for food with the anterior part. If disturbed, it quickly retracts to safety in the
burrow.
i) Running or flying away:Many animals such as gazelles and antelopes, depend on speed to
escape from their predators. Birds fly away.

3.Behavioural adaptations for avoiding adverse weather conditions

a) Aestivation:This is the act of remaining dormant in the hot, dry season. For instance, snails
aestivate by sealing up their shell with a slimy secretion which later hardens. Within the shell the
snail remains inactive until the rains come again. In temperate regions, animals hibernate, that
is, they remain dormant in cold weather.
b) Migration: Migration is the movement from one area to another, with eventual return to the
original area. Animals migrate, sometimes to avoid adverse weather, sometimes to reproduce,
sometimes for both.
Example
i).In West Africa, the cattle egret avoids the rainy season by migrating northwards, as the rainy
season commences in the south. As the dry season approaches, the cattle egret migrates
southwards again, down to the coast.
ii)The European swallow migrates between West Africa and Europe. It feeds on insects. From
September to early April, it is widely distributed in West Africa where its food is abundant. When
the rainy season sets in, and it is summer in Europe, it migrates to Europe where again its food
is abundant.

c) Shedding of leaves:Many plants have behavioural adaptations for surviving adverse

weather conditions. One of these adaptations is that some plants shed their leaves to reduce
water-loss e.g,Iroko, silk cotton tree,Terminalis(Almond tree).
d)Death of vegetative parts
i) Some plants die down and survive the dry season as underground stems e.g. yam tuber,
sweet potato, cocoyam.
ii)Some plants die at the end of the growing season and survive the dry season as seeds,e.g.
maize, melon, groundnuts, etc

4) Gregarious behaviour in animals

When animals of the same species move together in a group, they are said to be gregarious.
Gregarious animals show certain kinds of co-operative behaviour which give survival
advantage, e.g termites and ants live in colonies; a troop of gorilla always moves with the
powerful male in front, the powerful female at the rear and the young ones in-between.

Communication
Communication is the act of conveying information from one individual to another.
Methods of communication in animals
a) Communication by the sound and contact notes
Examples:
i)In times of hunger
Goats bleat when they are hungry. A mother-hen makes a special sound to call the attention of
the chicks, when she sees food.
ii).In times of danger
A mother hen makes a dangerous sound when it sights a snake or hawk. The chicks stoop
down and remain quiet and alert. If a hawk carries a chick, the captured chick continues to give
out distress until the hawk drops or kills it.
iii)For reproduction
A she-goat gives out sounds when it is on heat, to invite a he-goat for mating.
A male toad croaks to invite a female toad for mating.
Male and female cats make sounds as part of courtship.
iv)In parental care
A mother-duck or hen continues to quack or make contact notes, so that the ducklings or chicks
would know the location of their mother and follow her.
A sheep bleats or makes contact notes to recall a straying lamb.

b) Communication by 'dance'
The worker performs a special dance, called the tail wagging dance,to show its mates the
direction and distance of a food source
c) Communication by sense of smell
An antelope rubs a gland on its fore-head on twigs of plants. The secretion of the gland leaves a
smell which warns other antelopes that they are in an antelope's territory.
d) Communication by Touch
Ants in one colony touch one another. This is used as a means of recognising members of the
same colony.

Territorial Behaviour
Territorial Behaviour is the practice in some species of animals,whereby an individual or a group
of individuals establishes a limited area, which is treated as the home-ground,and is defended
against intruders, especially members of the same species.

Examples of territorial Behaviour

Territorial behaviour occurs in many species, such as,Agama lizards, crocodiles,dragon-flies,
antelopes, baboons, herons ,shrikes,fiddler crab,and others. Only a few of these examples are
described below.
Agama lizard
An adult male Agama lizard establishes and defends a territory. Young male and female,as well
as adult female lizards are allowed into the territory,but not adult males. If an adult male
enters,a serious fight ensues until the intruder wins or is driven away.
Heron
Herons roost and nest in flocks. In the mating season,they withdraw in pairs(male and female)
to each pair's territory for feeding and mating.
Fiddler crab
An adult male fiddler crab makes a burrow along the shore. It defends the burrow and the area
around the burrow from other adult male intruders. It invites an adult female to the burrow by a
characteristic raising and lowering of the fore left-limb,like one playing a violin.

Advantages of territorial behaviour

i)It allows animals to mate in relative peace. Many animals have a complicated courtship
behaviour,and in a territory,courtship and mating can go on undisturbed.
ii) Territorial behaviour helps individuals to space out in a habitat,and hence exploit all the
available resources,and prevent overcrowding.
iii) Territorial behaviour allows animals to rear their young ones in relative safety.

Social animals
Social animals are those in which individuals of the same species live together cooperatively in
organised communities known as societies or colonies. In such a colony, there is division of
labour among individuals of different castes which are specialised in structure to perform
different functions.
Examples of social animals include: termites,bees and ants.

Termites
Habitat
There are about 2000 species of termites,and nearly all are tropical. They live in large
communities in nests which may be tunnels in dead wood,chambers under the ground or
anthills (termitaria).
Castes
All the individuals in a termite colony are in three castes:
a) workers;
b) soldiers;
c) reproductives.
Workers
Characteristics of workers(termites)
i)They are blind
ii)They have no wings
iii)They are sterile
iv)They have well developed mouthparts
v) They constitute the majority in a colony.
Functions of workers
i)They build,extend or repair the termite nest.
ii) They look after the nymphs.
iii)They collect food.
iv)They feed the nymphs with food which they have eaten, partly digested and regurgitated.
v)They take away the eggs laid by the queen,put them in the chambers and look after them.

Soldiers
Characteristics of soldiers
i)They are wingless
ii)They are sterile
iii)They are blind
iv)They have big heads
There are two kinds of soldiers. The mandibulate soldiers have strong mandibles for
attacking intruders. Nasute soldiers have large heads with a projection through which a
poisonous liquid is sprayed onto or injected into intruders.
Functions of soldiers
Soldiers defend the colony against enemies.
Reproductives:
There are three types of reproductives:
i)queen;
ii)king;
iii)winged reproductives.

Queen (termite)
Characteristic of queen(termite)
i)It has a small head and a small thorax.
ii)The abdomen is large and swollen with eggs.
iii)In a colony, there is only one queen at a time.
iv)The queen has no wings.
Function:The function of the queen is to lay eggs.

King
Characteristic of king
i)The king is a reproductive male individual.
ii)It stays near the queen.
iii)It has no wings
Function:The function of the king is to mate with the queen.

Winged reproductives
Characteristic of winged reproductives
i)They can reproduce
ii)They have wings
iii)They are fertile
iv)They are potential Kings and queens of new colonies.
Function of winged reproductives:
They can become new queens or Kings,after a nuptial flight.

Life history of the termite

The termite has incomplete metamorphosis
i)The queen lays numerous eggs
ii)Workers take care of the eggs and nymphs.
iii) Nymphs develop into soldiers or reproductives. The nymphs which fail to develop become
the workers.
iv)From time to time, winged reproductives swarm out from an existing colony. This is called a
nuptial flight and it takes place after a heavy rainfall.
v) After flying for sometime,the winged reproductives settle on the ground, lose their wings,and
crawl about in pairs of male and female. Many are eaten by predators,some die,few survive.
vi)A pair of survivors crawl into a hole they have dug in the ground. Inside the hole,the female
lays eggs and becomes the queen of this new colony while the male becomes the king. They
take care of the eggs and nymphs until they have enough workers to take over this work.
Economic importance of termites
1)They destroy wood and furniture which cost money to replace.
2)The clay from termitarium is used to build the surface of tennis court
3)They help in loosening and aerating the soil through the tunnels they make.
4)They are a good source of protein and fats.
5) They add humus in the soil by breaking down dead wood.

Honey bees
Habitat
Honey bees are social insects. They live in large communities in hives, which consists of
chambers,each called a cell.
Castes of honey bees
There are three castes in a bee colony, namely:
i)queen
ii) drone
iii) worker

Queen of honey bee

Characteristic of honey bee
i)The queen is a fertile female.
ii)It is much bigger than the workers
iii)It has a long pointed abdomen.
iv)It has wings
v)It is attended to by workers.
vi)It is fed with royal jelly.
Function: The queen lays eggs.

Drone of honey bee

Characteristics of honey bee
i)The drone is a male.
ii)It is bigger than the worker
iii)It has wings.
iv)The abdomen is shorter than that of the queen.
Functions of honey bee:
i)One drone mates with the queen during the nuptial flight. The drone that has mates with the
queen dies after.
ii)Other drones do nothing in a colony. They are chased out of the colony when the food is
scarce.

Workers of honey bee

Characteristic of worker (honey bee)
i)A worker is a sterile female
ii)It is smaller in size than the drone or queen
iii) It has eyes and a sting
iv)The mouth parts are modified for collecting nectar,and for building the hive.
v)The legs are modified for collecting pollen.
Functions of workers
The functions of a worker bee change with age in the order described below. In general,a young
worker bee does household duties,an adult worker forges for food outside. The duties include;
i) cleaning the cells;
ii) feeding older larvae with honey;
iii) feeding young larvae with royal jelly;
iv) processing honey and pollen;
v) cleaning the nest
vi) ventilating the hive;
vii) secreting wax and building the hive with it;
viii) guarding the hive;
ix) collecting pollen and a nectar.
When a worker bee identifies a food source,it performs a special dance called a 'tail wagging'
dance which indicates to other workers, the direction and distance of the food source.

Economic importance of bees

1.They provide honey.
2.They pollinate flowers.