An example from home: Compass termites of North Australia
Nest temperature is additionally driven by fluctuation in mound temperature. There are three named termite species of northern Australia (Amitermes vitiosus, Amitermes meridionalis and Amitermes laurensis) that regulate nest temperature via their structure and orientation (Schmidt, 2014). Known as “compass or “magnetic” termites, their mounds are built elongated along an axis from north to south.
The orientation of the termite mounds is a form of thermoregulation, the elongated shape better influenced by ambient air temperatures and solar irradiation due to the high surface-volume ratio. The larger surface area of the eastern face may increase exposure to stable temperatures during the day (Jacklyn 1992). The elongated shape of the mound is somewhat counteractive to stable thermoregulation, as spheroidal mounds with small surface-volume ratio usually provide better stability (Lüscher, 1961). In Amitermes, the east face of the mount is susceptible to heating, reaching an average of 30˚C during the most of the day, but during midday leave minimal surface area exposed to the sun (Korb 2011).