Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How do nasute termite soldiers use sticky chemical secretions for defense?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
termite
A termite nest in a tropical rainforest.
In the subfamily Nasutitermitinae, soldiers have evolved a specialized defense mechanism that replaces traditional biting mandibles, which have become reduced and nonfunctional. Instead, the head of a nasute soldier is elongated into a snout-like structure known as a nasus.1
This nasus is connected to a large frontal gland that occupies a significant portion of the soldier's head. When threatened, these termites use this anatomy to accurately spray a clear, sticky, and resinous liquid at predators from a distance of several centimeters. This secretion effectively entangles and immobilizes attackers, providing a highly effective chemical defense for the colony.1