The Queen Termite Is Possibly The Grossest Thing You Could Ever Eat—Or See, Or Anything

OK, prepare your "Disgust Face" because you're going to be needing it when you catch sight of the wobbling sack of horror that is the queen termite. See that giant rippling bag of nightmare fuel she carries around? That's an egg-producing factory.

Sat in her chamber in the middle of a termite nest, which is usually a large mound of rock or mud, she produces up to 30,000 eggs a day, around 165 million in her 45 year lifespan.

As she lies there in the colony, swollen and unable to move, she's fed by the workers while the king services her other needs (actually that doesn't sound too bad).

Just in case you find yourself in West Africa hankering after some local insect cuisine eHow gives a step-by-step guide on how to prepare it. "Cook the queen (still pulsing) in palm oil in a large pan until it turns golden brown." it says. "Cut it into small sections and give them to each of the workers who destroyed the bug-a-bug hill."

Puke. In. Mouth. But don't listen to me, you can hear the master of all things nature David Attenborough talk about them in that tone of voice he has that almost makes you like them. Almost.

Fascinating creatures, no doubt, but not so pleasant on the eye. And before you start your recovery mode from watching all that here's something else to, ahem, chew on—in West Africa they actually eat queen termites as a delicacy. Here's some guys trying it out.

And again (go on, you know you want to watch it).

There's only one response you can give to that.