Macrotermes gilvus, defence 101

[ItalianTermiteMan]

Just a quick pic by Mattia Menchetti (https://www.inaturalist.org/people/mattiamenchetti, Attribution CC licence) of a "platoon" of Macrotermes gilvus soldiers guarding a breach in their nest that partially exposed a fungus comb, where the symbiotic Termitomyces all Macrotermitinae feed upon is cultivated. Upon damage to their structures or foraging tunnels soldiers will quickly gather at the spot and assume a phalanx-like formation at its perimeter, covering each other's vulnerable flanks and forcing eventual enemies to approach from their deadly front arc. As the soldiers guard, masses of workers will arrive soon after and feverishly seal every opening with a quick-drying mixture of soil, feces and labial gland secretions.