In the world of termites studied by Northeastern professor Rebeca Rosengaus, worker termites spend their few short months on Earth cleaning and feeding their enormous long-lived queen mother and ...

Termites are among the most successful animals on Earth, forming vast societies that can number in the millions. But how did such complex social systems evolve from solitary ancestors that looked much ...

Physogastric termite queen (top left) of Macrotermes michaelseni being groomed by workers and the larger king, with soldiers in the foreground. Photo by Jan Sobotnik. Termites are among the most ...

Termites did not evolve complex societies by adding new genetic features. Instead, scientists found that they became more social by shedding genes tied to competition and independence. A shift to ...

The bugs are unique among colony-forming insects in that their queens cannot rule without a king. By Elizabeth Preston While millions of eyes are on the coronation of Charles III this weekend, other ...

Termites are the descendants of cockroaches, and have undergone significant genetic change to live in vast colonies where breeding is restricted to a single pair. A study of the genetic path they took ...