Termite Queen Abdomen
The termite queen is one of the few creatures of the animal kingdom that demonstrate extreme physogastry or the expansion of the abdomen to an extreme size.
Termite queen abdomen. Her abdomen eventually expands many times beyond her prenuptial size to the point that she becomes much less mobile and must be cared for. Its wings will have fallen off and its legs are just too tiny to support all of the weight of the abdomen. This phenomenal growth is largely due to distended ovaries and fat deposits inside her abdomen. She becomes an egg laying machine and becomes physically dependent on the worker termites for her care and feeding.
Quite often the abdomen is a hundred times bigger than a typical termite while the head and the legs stay the same size. She possesses a big white abdomen. Her length is about 10 cm. The queen termite s abdomen enlarges as she begins laying eggs.
Secondary reproductives in subterranean species are typically white or very light in color the same color as worker termites for that species. Role of the queen the role of the queen in a termite colony varies and changes over time. The queen is this big because of her abdomen as she should be able to lay a great number of eggs.