Blind, these social insects build ingenious large constructions (with air conditioning and regulated temperature). Some scientists claim that the sole gradient of pheromone enable the realization of such constructions (stigmergy).
Hello Jean-Pierre; When standing outside the nests of some species...in northern Australia... it is clear that the insects are sensitive to some stimuli outside the nest. Nests are typically oriented in a north-south direction. Perhaps they are responding to the Earth's magnetic field. Here is a citation that might add something to the story.
Article Homing in Harvester Termites: Evidence of Magnetic Orientation
Best regards, Jim Des Lauriers
Dear Dr Des Lauriers, thank you so much for your precious information and literature reference. Have a nice day jp
Dr. Nan-Yao Su at the University of Florida and his students found that a fractal algorithm could be calculated to explain the apparent random tunneling pattern in Coptotermes subterranean termites. I encourage you to look up his papers. It may be that a set of relatively simple behavioral rules might explain general construction patterns that are then modified by environmental ques.
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