Termites (Isoptera)
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formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, worker (top) and soldier (bottom); Photo by Gerald J. Lenhard, Louisiana State University, www.insectimages.org |
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formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, workers and soldiers repairing damaged nest; Photo by Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, www.insectimages.org |
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formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, adults; Photo by Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, www.insectimages.org |
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formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, winged adults (alates); Photo by Scott Bauer, USDA Agricultural Research Service, www.insectimages.org |
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formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, damage to Pritchardia; Photo by Scot Nelson, University of Hawaii at Manoa |
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formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, damage to Pritchardia; Photo by Scot Nelson, University of Hawaii at Manoa |
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formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, damage to Pritchardia; Photo by Scot Nelson, University of Hawaii at Manoa |
Rank & taxon
Order Blattodea, Infraorder Isoptera
Description
Adult: Termites are small to medium sized eusocialeusocial:
a species that lives in a society where all individual cooperate in caring for the young, which not all of them have produced; the bulk of the colony is usually made up of sterile individuals that work to support the reproductive individuals
insects, ranging from 3 to 20 mm in length. They have pale, elongate bodies, chewing mouthparts, and antennae about the same length as the head. Wings are only present in the reproductive castes and are shed after mating.
Larvae: Termite nymphs look much like the adults, only smaller.
Distribution
Worldwide; more than 2,800 described species in 7 families
Biology/life cycle
Termite colonies range from several hundred to several million individuals. Reproductive castes are usually produced when colonies reach a certain critical size. The winged, reproductive male and female usually fly away from the colony to mate, establishing a new colony. The first brood becomes the first workers and soldiers, building up the nest to accomodate the queen as she lays eggs almost continually. The male and female continue to mate for life. The worker caste is primarily responsible to foraging, food storage, and brood and nest maintenance. Termites feed exclusively on cellulose, usually of dead or dying wood, but occasionally of live wood. While some termites can produce their own cellulase enymes, most termites have specialized symbiotic bacteria and/or protozoa in their guts to aid in cellulose digestion. Termites occasionally become pests of palms at times of high termite populations, plant stress, or drought.
Hosts
Palms: a wide variety of palms
Other: a wide variety of plants
Representative taxa on palms
The formosan subterranean termite, Coptotermes formosanus, is one of the most widely distributed and economically important termite pests in the world. It is probably native to China, but has been transported to Japan, Hawaii, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the southeastern US. It is considered the single most economically important insect pest in the state of Hawaii, attacking structures as well as many species of living plants, including palms.
The coconut termite, Neotermes rainbowi, attacks coconut palms on several islands of the South Pacific. They hollow out and establish colonies in the trunks of coconut palms (Cocos nucifera), often leading to the collapse of the tree. Coconut termites are not known to occur in the US or the Caribbean.
