Termites are eusocial insects that are classified at the taxonomic rank of infraorder Isoptera, or as epifamily Termitoidae within the cockroach order Blattodea. Termites were once classified in a separate order from cockroaches, but recent phylogenetic studies indicate that they evolved from close ancestors of cockroaches during the Jurassic or Triassic. However, the first termites possibly emerged during the Permian or even the Carboniferous. About 3,106 species are currently described, with a few hundred more left to be described. Although these insects are often called "white ants", they are not ants.
Like ants and some bees and wasps from the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labour among castes consisting of sterile male and female "workers" and "soldiers". All colonies have fertile males called "kings" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Termites mostly feed on dead plant material and cellulose, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung. Termites are major detritivores, particularly in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of wood and plant matter is of considerable ecological importance.
Termites are among the most successful groups of insects on Earth, colonising most landmasses except Antarctica. Their colonies range in size from a few hundred individuals to enormous societies with several million individuals. Termite queens have the longest lifespan of any insect in the world, with some queens reportedly living up to 30 to 50 years. Unlike ants, which undergo a complete metamorphosis, each individual termite goes through an incomplete metamorphosis that proceeds through egg, nymph, and adult stages. Colonies are described as superorganismsbecause the termites form part of a self-regulating entity: the colony itself.
Termites are a delicacy in the diet of some human cultures and are used in many traditional medicines. Several hundred species are economically significant as pests that can cause serious damage to buildings, crops, or plantation forests. Some species, such as the West Indian drywood termite (Cryptotermes brevis), are regarded as invasive species.
Description[]
Termites are sometimes called “white ants” because of their pale coloring and physical similarities to ants. However, there are several ways to tell ants apart from termites. Like bees and wasps, ants have a narrow waist that segments their bodies—termites do not. Ants also have segmented or “elbowed” antennae, while termite antennae are straight. Both ants and termites have winged reproductive forms, but the forewings and hind wings of ants are different sizes, and those of termites are equal in size. King and queen termites are large, sometimes over an inch (2.5 centimeters) in length. Worker termites and soldier termites are generally smaller.
Range[]
Most termite species are found in the tropics, but several dozen species are found throughout the United States, including Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Alaska is the only U.S. state without termites. Depending on the species, termite nests are found underground, in dead trees and stumps, in the tops of live trees, and in wooden structures. Antsare among the biggest predators of termites.
Diet[]
Termites obtain nutrients from wood and plant materials, but they can’t digest their food on their own. Instead they have symbiotic protozoa and bacteria in their guts to break down the tough plant fibers.
Life History[]
Something all termite species share is a caste system. At the lowest level are the workers. These termites are sexually and developmentally immature. Workers take part in building out the nest, locating food, and caring for young. Soldiers are the next step up in the caste system. Like workers, they are immature in form, but in some species, they have well-developed mandibles for defense. Then there are the reproductives (also called alates), winged males and females that are the product of mature colonies. Alates swarm in warm weather and form pairs of males and females. These “primary reproductives” lose their wings and become kings and queens of new colonies.
There are several families of termites, and each has a different life history. Subterranean termites are found in both the eastern and western United States and cause the most damage to homes. The Formosan subterranean termite in the West is not native to the U.S., and they spread fairly quickly. Subterranean termites decompose plant matter in the soil. To go aboveground, they build earthen tubes to protect themselves from desiccation, or drying out. Dampwood termites also require moisture and move from rotting tree stumps and logs across the forest floor. Drywood termites are less susceptible to desiccation and spend their lives aboveground in dead trees or buildings.