Back in 2018, we went to a farm where a farmhand had just dug out the queen's chamber from a termite mound that was to be removed.
The chamber is usually hard as a rock, made to protect the queen from burrowing predators.
There she is. The workers feed her and all she does is lay eggs all her life.
They say you count the number of segments on her body to determine the number of years she's lived.
One event happened shortly after that I'll never forget. The farmhand took the queen and ate her whole, claiming the oily treat is good for the heart. It took everybody present by surprise.
The most I've ever known to be eaten from the termite world are the flying termites that fly out in rainy seasons.
(YouTube)
