GROUP 4 TERMITE PROTISTS.
Group 4 termites were found inside a fallen stringy bark eucalypt tree on my property in early May 2014 and shown in plates 1 and 2. The tree was chainsawed into sections and termites removed, they appear to be Coptotermes acinaciformis. The following images are from the first termite dissected in 0.45% NaCl.
PLATE 1: Eucalyptus woodland with sawn log, the tree had fallen approx 2 years previous.
PLATE 2: Log showing termite borrowings.
PROTISTS:
IMAGE 1: Wide field, note absence of Joenia, Pseudotrypanosoma, Trichonympha campanula all of which are found in group 3, and 2 termites.
IMAGE 2:
IMAGE 3:
IMAGE 4:
IMAGE 5:
PROKARYOTES:
IMAGE 1: Wide field view of numerous prokaryote spirochaete and treponema species in this termite gut.
IMAGE 2: 60 microns long spirochaete, note slender treponema to the left and right.
IMAGE 3: Spirochaete with characteristic terminal loop at one end. This is very common in this type of spirochaete and found in all termites so far, often unwinding and flexing,even entwining around itself.
IMAGE 4: Part of single Streptobacillus, this species was common in this termite, even forming intertwined colonies as shown in image 5. Note the refractile spores in each segment.
IMAGE 5: Streptobacillus colony.
IMAGE 6: High magnification view of streptobacillus sp. Note: The large spores (1.3 x 3.2 microns) and cross-walls. This is presumably a methogenic species, (X100 SuperAPO 1.4NA – on screen magnification approx X4,000).