Termites Survive On Wood Thanks To Microbes

Wood-eating cockroaches harbor microscopic protists called Barbulanympha that act as personal chemical factories. These tiny organisms fix nitrogen from the air, allowing their hosts to thrive on a nutrient-poor wood diet.

Wood is notoriously low in the nitrogen needed for animal growth, which should make it a terrible food source. However, Barbulanympha live inside the insect gut and host their own specialized bacteria to solve this problem. These bacteria turn atmospheric nitrogen into usable nutrients that sustain the cockroach. It is an incredible triple-layered partnership that allows these insects to turn wood into fuel.