Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial insects which consume a wide variety of decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, and soil humus. They are distinguished by their moniliform antennae and the soft-bodied and often unpigmented worker caste for which they have been commonly termed "white ants"; however, they are not ants, to which they are only distantly related. About 2,972 extant species are currently described, 2,105 of which are members of the family Termitidae.
Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattodea (along with cockroaches). Termites were once classified in a separate order from cockroaches, but recent phylogenetic studies indicate that they evolved from cockroaches, as they are deeply nested within the group, and the sister group to wood eating cockroaches of the genus Cryptocercus. Previous estimates suggested the divergence took place during the Jurassic or Triassic. More recent estimates suggest that they have an origin during the Late Jurassic, with the first fossil records in the Early Cretaceous.
Similarly to ants and some bees and wasps from the separate order Hymenoptera, most termites have an analogous "worker" and "soldier" caste system consisting of mostly sterile individuals which are physically and behaviorally distinct. Unlike ants, most colonies begin from sexually mature individuals known as the "king" and "queen" that together form a lifelong monogamous pair. Also unlike ants, which undergo a complete metamorphosis, termites undergo an incomplete metamorphosis that proceeds through egg, nymph, and adult stages. Termite colonies are commonly described as superorganisms due to the collective behaviors of the individuals which form a self-governing entity: the colony itself. Their colonies range in size from a few hundred individuals to enormous societies with several million individuals. Most species are rarely seen, having a cryptic life-history where they remain hidden within the galleries and tunnels of their nests for most of their lives.
Termites' success as a group has led to them colonizing almost every global landmass, with the highest diversity occurring in the tropics where they are estimated to constitute 10% of the animal biomass, particularly in Africa which has the richest diversity with more than 1000 described species. They are important decomposers of decaying plant matter in the subtropical and tropical regions of the world, and their recycling of wood and plant matter is of considerable ecological importance. Many species are ecosystem engineers capable of altering soil characteristics such as hydrology, decomposition, nutrient cycling, vegetative growth, and consequently surrounding biodiversity through the large mounds constructed by certain species.
Termites have several impacts on humans. They are a delicacy in the diet of some human cultures such as the Makiritare in the Alto Orinoco province of Venezuela, where they are commonly used as a spice. They are also used in traditional medicinal treatments of various diseases and ailments, such as influenza, asthma, bronchitis, etc. Termites are most famous for being structural pests; however, the vast majority of termite species are innocuous, with the regional numbers of economically significant species being: North America, 9; Australia, 16; Indian subcontinent, 26; tropical Africa, 24; Central America and the West Indies, 17. Of known pest species, 28 of the most invasive and structurally damaging belong to the genus Coptotermes. The distribution of most known pest species is expected to increase over time as a consequence of climate change. Increased urbanization and connectivity is also predicted to expand the range of some pest termites.
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Ancient Network Of Massive Termite Mounds In Brazil Are "Biological Wonders"
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34,000-year-old termite mounds in South Africa are still being used
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So a few weeks ago I watched 2 video essays about the 2015 indie game Fran Bow, a horror point & click adventure game. I played the game myself 2 years ago, didn't really get it and mostly just wrote it off but these video analyses got me intrigued again because they were like, really bad. They clearly didn't get what the game was about either, this one guy made a 40 minute video and the only thing he really interpreted were the freaking chapter titles.
So I downloaded the game again and this time I'm taking notes. I have a document purely for noting down literally anything I find noteworthy and another document of possible interpretations and theories.
And ooh boy, this game. It does not give you a damn break with how much stuff it throws at you. It became apparent to me within like 2 hours that this is not a game where you can do a Game Theory style "explanation" video about what "really" happened because it's almost aggressively nonsensical and ambiguous. At the same time, there are so, so, so many things that could symbolize something but don't necessarily have to. It's weird because it starts semi-grounded, then becomes increasingly fantastical to the point where you wonder if this is still about anything at all, but then it comes back around to reality only to go completely off the rails at the end.
There are just enough recurring themes and loose connections between the endless waves of nonsense Fran Bow throws at me that I think there is something there that connects it all, but it still feels like a Sisyphean task to decipher it. It's so hard to tell what is just there for "horror & madness" vibes and what is there because it actually means something.
At the end of chapter 2, this random toad in the most "apropos nothing" gives you a 40 page journal of this dude named León Castillo who, and I can't stress this enough, does not appear in the game outside of a single photograph at the end and has no impact on the story whatsoever. The content of the journal is also not directly relevant to the game's progression at all, you can easily solve every puzzle and finish the game without ever looking at the journal. But if you do read it, you can tell that it's clearly about something, that it is related to what the game is about, but I have no fucking clue what that is. I found this guide post on Steam which attempts to interpret it and connects it to spiritualism and occultism, which are subjects I know very little about so I have no idea if this person is onto something or talking out of their ass. It includes screenshots of every page so if you recognize anything in there, do tell me.
I wanna know what this game is about. Look at these stupid fkn journal pages. Surely this is not just vibes. Right??
Fun fact about León Castillo to give you an idea of how frustrating this game is:
The one time you see his name outside of the journal is when, during the final chapter of Fran Bow, you see this this picture (he's the guy who's not in a wheelchair) which features him alongside a bunch of other characters you meet throughout the game, including Fran's mother and the twins from chapter 2. Fran's mother was born in 1905 and appears to be between 6-10 years old in this picture. Castillo, according to his own journal, was 92 years old in the year 1908, meaning he would have to have been around 100 years old when the picture was taken which he clearly fucking wasn't.
Does this mean something or is it just an oversight? I sure as heck don't know
It’s been years since I played it, but it was made by a husband and wife team and in pretty sure it was their first game. It came out in a time that was big for very small indie horror stuff like yumme Nikki and other things I believe and I think a lot of the story elements have big ao3/tumblr fan fiction-y vibes from what I remember. I enjoyed it but it definitely is kind of a fever dream
They just remastered it I believe.
Also if you haven’t checked out little misfortune is a cute game set in the same universe with ties to the first game.
It kind of expands on some stuff in the first game and makes it a little more concrete but it’s still mostly hinted at, they tend to keep stuff vague
I’ll warn you the ending, to me anyway, is a little unsatisfying. But it’s a cute little game, the mechanics are heavily scaled back and its more streamlined around the story