Wood Destroying Organism (WDO) Home Inspection 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The correct answer is trophallaxis, which is a social behavior observed in many insect species, including termites. Trophallaxis refers to the process of transferring food or liquids among individuals in a colony through mouth-to-mouth or anus-to-mouth feeding. This behavior facilitates the sharing of nutrients, pheromones, and, importantly, chemicals introduced into the colony.

When termites are exposed to slow-acting toxicants in their environment, these substances can be ingested and then shared among colony members through trophallaxis. As termites feed and exchange materials, an individual that has ingested the toxicant can pass it on to others, effectively spreading the toxicant throughout the colony without the need for direct contact with the source. This slow-acting nature allows the toxin to affect multiple termites over time, ultimately impacting the colony as a whole.

Grooming, flight, and foraging are important behaviors for termites, but they do not play the same role in the distribution of toxins within a colony as trophallaxis does. Grooming is primarily a hygienic behavior, flight is not commonly associated with most termite species given their subterranean lifestyle, and foraging is focused on searching for food rather than sharing it in the context of toxin transmission.