Homing in Harvester Termites: Evidence of Magnetic Orientation

Abstract

Abstract Colonies of Trinervitermes geminatus (Wasman) build a network of forked foraging trails. Homing workers choose, with few exceptions, those tracks at the forks of the pheromone trail network that lead direct to the nest. Assessments show that these workers are also able to distinguish between the homeward and outward direction along an unbranched trail. Experiments involving the alteration of the local natural magnetic field by means of a weak permanent magnet provide evidence that the termites recognise the home direction by means of magnetoreception.