EASTERN SUBTERRANEAN TERMITES
- Scientific name:Reticulitermes flavipes
- There are many different species of termites but most of the subterranean termites belong
to the genus Reticulitermes. All belong to their own order, ISOPTERA.
- Physical Description:
- Like ants, termites have several different forms that make up the colony, all with varying
physical features. Subterranean termite workers are cream colored with yellowish heads
and are approximately 1/4"-3/4" in length. They do not have wings, and you will seldom see
the workers outside of the ground, mud tubes, or wood that they are eating. The soldier form
looks similar to the workers, but they are slightly larger with much larger mandibles. The winged
reproductives are often mistaken for flying ants because of their darker color, especially
when they are swarming. However, termite reproductives have larger wings than flying ants, and
their forewings and anterior wings are the same length. There are also secondary reproductives,
non-swarmers, that look similar to the workers with the addition of wing buds. These secondary
reproductives take over the production of offspring if something happens to either the King or Queen
of the colony.
- Range and habitat:
- The Eastern subterranean termite can be found in the North as far as Ontario, south to Florida
and west to the Mississippi. Subterranean termites as their name implies, live primarily underground
and feed on rotting wood. They are selective about the wood they feed on and the location of their
colony, and will move the colony in response to changes in temperature and humidity levels.
These termites become a problem when they move into our homes or other structures. Subterranean
termite infestation in a home is often discovered by witnessing a swarm, as we did on May 19, 2001 or
finding mud tubes along the house foundation.
- Social structure:
- Subterranean termites are social insects and live in colonies composed of the forms
mentioned above. The beginning of a new colony occurs when the reproductives from an existing colony
"swarm." These swarms usually are brief, lasting about 15 minutes, as the one we witnessed. The male
and female reproductives that survive the swarm, without becoming tasty treats for nearby birds, shed
their wings, pair off and look for nearby openings in the ground or water saturated wood to begin their
colony. The king and queen will mate and the queen will begin to lay eggs. The eggs that she lays are
all alike and they all have the potential to develop into any one of the forms mentioned above. Workers
scavenge for food for the colony, soldiers protect the colony (primarily from ants) and reproductives
develop to disperse and begin new colonies, or to take over the reproduction of the colony if the primary
king or queen should die.
- Other links:
-
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Ohio State Fact Sheet
Termite Links
If you have any questions about this Web site, please contact
A. Koenig at amk979@pitt.edu
www.pitt.edu/~amk979/termites.html