Aging workers of the Neotropical termite, Neocapritermes taracua, develop blue crystal containing glands ("backpacks") on their backs, When they fight intruding termites and are hampered, these "blue" termites explode, and the glands spew a sticky liquid (Sobotnik et al. 2012). The following data are from an experiment that measured the toxicity of the blue substance. A single drop of the liquid extracted from blue termites was placed on individuals of a second termite species, Labiotermes labralis, and the number that were immobilized (dead or paralyzed) within 60 minutes was recorded. The frequency of this outcome was compared with a control treatment in which liquid from glands of "white" termites lacking the blue crystals was dropped instead.
Is the blue liquid toxic compared to liquid from white termites?
Liquid source Unharmed Immobilized
Blue workers 3 37
White workers 31 9
