Premium
The effects of buried magnets on colonies of Amitermes spp. building magnetic mounds in northern Australia 1
Author(s) -
GRIGG GORDON,
JACKYLN PETER,
TAPLIN LAURIE
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
physiological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.693
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1365-3032
pISSN - 0307-6962
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3032.1988.tb00480.x
Subject(s) - nest (protein structural motif) , biology , magnet , magnetic field , ecology , physics , biochemistry , quantum mechanics
Unlike four control colonies of Amitermes which built normal, north‐south oriented ‘magnetic’ mounds in northern Australia, four young colonies failed after exposure to experimental alteration of the earth's magnetic field. In November 1979, bar magnets were buried on either side at the base of each of three new nests of Amitermes laurensis Mjoberg and one new colony of A.vitiosus Hill. As controls, non‐magnetized iron bars were disposed similarly in relation to three new nests of the former species and one of the latter. In September 1986, all four control nests had grown normally. However, not one of the treatment colonies survived and from what remained of the former nest in each case it is clear that the demise of the colonies occurred soon after the magnets were placed. We conclude that the failure of these colonies was the result of the changed magnetic environment. Whether ‘magnetic’ termites use magnetoperception as a cue to achieve their spectacular north‐south orientation remains unknown, but the results of this field experiment weigh more for than against this possibility.