Re: Ant biology versus termite - breathing?

Well lets see...ants and termites are in different orders but both have spiracles through which they take in oxygen which slowly and passively diffuses.

But termites mostly remain underground with their chambers sealed so they probably get less oxygen in there. But as they move fairly slowly they also need less. Ants on the other hand, are in and out of their nest with a few holes to let in air. So their environment has more oxygen. But beyond that I haven't seen any research on the topic to indicate much of a difference between them. a paper on least oxygen dependant insects by Andy Rasmussen

http://ufbir.ifas.ufl.edu/ chap20.pdf

Apneustic insects described in this paper are insects with no opening to the outside of the body. In this paper, Termites are not mentioned as apneustic. While ants are hymenoptera, they are not parasitic wasps or flies, so they too are not apneustic. So... they both take in oxygen through the spiracles. Oxygen is diffused though tracheae in the abdomen in to cells directly or through the insects blood in solution. In this paper, he describes some insects (chironomids)that are red due to the hemoglobin they use to hold on to oxygen.

Dr. Bob W. Blob should be able to help you better with your question. A news release on insect breathing: how insects expand and contract their tracheae http://www.clemson.edu/ agforestryresearch/news_insects.htm

Insect breathing http://www.faculty.ucr.edu/~chmeliar/respiration/ksnewlook/introduction.html

The second question about carbon monoxide.
The site below suggests that one can "fumigate" ground nests of yellow jackets (at night) with 5 lit charcoal briquettes that create carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide is heavier than air and will kill the underground nest. Yellow Jakets are hymenopetra like ants so using carbon monoxide may kill both ants and termites by simply displacing the oxygen around them. http://www.thebestcontrol.com/bugstop/control_stinging_insects.htm