Nest Structure: Termites

Author-generated preprint; International audience; The nests of termites are amongst the most diverse and complex structures among the great diversity of those built by animals. Their intricate architectures and the manner in which termites make use of them have fascinated mankind for centuries, whether it is part of local agricultural practice, as a simple landscape feature, as an inspiration for societal collective building or as a scientific study object on its own. However, their nests remain relatively little understood compared to those of many ants, social wasps and social bees, especially honey bees and stingless bees since termites that actually build mounds or other conspicuous structures are of minor economic importance. The few termites that serve as structural pests-and so attract the most study-mostly live inside their food supply without constructing a distinctive nest. My purpose here is to build on the few earlier reviews with an emphasis on mound nests. Many recent advances have been possible thanks to new imaging technics such as Computer Tomography, photogrammetry or automatic tracking and behavior classification. Modelling and simulation techniques further help to link individual construction behavior to emerging architectures.