Termites: Isoptera - Physical Characteristics, Diet, Behavior And Reproduction, Termites And People, Conservation Status, Eastern Subterranean Termite (reticulitermes Flavipes): Species Accounts - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT

Termites: Isoptera - Physical Characteristics

Termites are the most primitive group of living winged insects that lay their eggs on land. Some scientific studies suggest that termites are most closely related to cockroaches. The most primitive cockroaches, wingless wood cockroaches from North America, closely resemble termites in their appearance and behavior. Similarly, the most primitive termites, Mastotermes darwiniensis from Queensland, A…

Termites: Isoptera - Diet

Termites: Isoptera - Behavior And Reproduction

Termites lead secretive lives hidden in wood, underground, or in specially constructed tubes or nests. They seldom come out in the open, except to mate, but some species routinely search for food above ground. They are social insects that live in colonies with thousands to millions of individuals. Most colonies are made up of different castes (workers, soldiers, kings, and queens) that work togeth…

Termites: Isoptera - Termites And People

Most people think of termites as pests, and with good reason. Their feeding and nesting activities damage or destroy wood and wood products used in books, furniture, buildings, telephone poles, and fence posts, causing millions of dollars of damage every year. Millions of dollars more are spent trying to control their populations or get rid of them. Termite control methods include applying heat to…

Termites: Isoptera - Conservation Status

Termites: Isoptera - Eastern Subterranean Termite (reticulitermes Flavipes): Species Accounts

Physical characteristics: Kings and queens measure 0.4 inches (10.2 millimeters) from head to wingtips. Their bodies are black, except for their yellow leg segments. Soldiers have a long, straight-sided, almost rectangular yellow head with a pale spot on top. Their thick, black, toothless jaws are strongly curved inward at the tips. Workers are about 0.2 inches (5.1 millimeters) long, with creamy …

Termites: Isoptera - Black Macrotermes (macrotermes Carbonarius): Species Accounts

Physical characteristics: This is the largest termite in Southeast Asia. Winged kings and queens are about 1.2 inches (30.5 millimeters) from head to wingtips, with a wingspan of at least 2 inches (50.8 millimeters). The bodies of both workers and soldiers are very dark, nearly black. Male workers are larger than female workers. The soldiers are all females, large or small, and have very sharp, sw…

Termites: Isoptera - Black-headed Nasute Termite (nasutitermes Nigriceps): Species Accounts

Physical characteristics: The queen is 0.7 inches (17.8 millimeters) in length, without wings. Her body is mostly reddish yellow, and the abdomen is very large. Soldiers have very dark heads covered with short, bristling hairs. Workers come in two sizes. Both large and small workers have dark bodies and rectangular heads. Geographic range: These termites range from Mazatlán in western Mexic…

Termites: Isoptera - Linnaeus's Snapping Termite (termes Fatalis): Species Accounts

Physical characteristics: Kings and queens are brown and measure about 0.3 inches (8.5 millimeters), including wings. The soldiers are long and pale yellow. Their heads are straight-sided and have a small hornlike bump toward the front. They have long and slender jaws. Geographic range: This species is found in northeastern South America, including Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad, and Brazil. Habitat: …

Termites: Isoptera - Wide-headed Rottenwood Termite (zootermopsis Laticeps): Species Accounts

Physical characteristics: This is the largest and most primitive termite in North America. Winged kings and queens measure 1.0 to 1.2 inches (25.4 to 30.5 millimeters) from head to wingtips, with a wingspan up to 1.9 inches (48.3 millimeters). Their bodies are dark yellowish. Soldiers measure 0.6 to 0.9 inches (15.2 to 22.9 millimeters) in length. The flattened head is widest at the back, and they…