Termite

Termites are eusocial insects in the order Blattodea (within the cockroach lineage, infraorder Isoptera), distinguished from ants by their broadly joined waist, straight beaded antennae, and pale, soft cuticle. Colonies are organized into castes—workers, soldiers, and reproductives—that cooperate to build and defend a nest and to process cellulose-rich food.

They are ecologically significant decomposers, breaking down dead wood and plant litter and recycling nutrients back into the soil, a role that makes them important in forest and grassland ecosystems even though the same wood-digesting habit brings some species into conflict with wooden structures.

Worldwide there are thousands of termite species, ranging from subterranean species that nest in soil and tunnel through wood in search of food, to drywood species that live entirely within the timber they consume, to large moundbuilding species in tropical regions.

• Small, soft-bodied, pale cream to light brown insects with a thick, uniformly wide waist (no narrow "wasp waist" as in ants).
• Straight, bead-like antennae, unlike the elbowed antennae of ants.
• Winged reproductives ("swarmers") have two pairs of wings of equal length and size, held flat over the body, and are shed after a mating flight.
• Soldiers have enlarged, darker heads with prominent mandibles used for colony defense.
• Lookalikes: flying ants, which have a pinched waist, elbowed antennae, and unequal front/hind wing size.

Subterranean termites nest in soil, typically in moist ground near wood sources, and range across most temperate and tropical regions worldwide; drywood termites live directly inside dry wood, often in warmer coastal or subtropical climates. Colonies are active year-round underground or within wood, though winged reproductives typically emerge in swarms during warm, humid conditions in spring or after rain.

Within their habitat, termites favor decaying logs, stumps, leaf litter, and any wood in contact with soil or moisture, avoiding direct light and open air.

Termites feed on cellulose found in wood, grass, leaf litter, and other plant material, often relying on symbiotic gut microorganisms or fungi to help digest tough plant fibers. Workers forage and maintain the nest, soldiers defend it, and reproductives (kings and queens) found new colonies after dispersal flights.

Most activity occurs out of sight within soil, wood, or shelter tubes built to protect foraging routes from light and desiccation. As decomposers, termites play a substantial ecological role in nutrient cycling, and colonies communicate largely through pheromone trails and vibrational signals rather than sound.

A mated queen and king found a new colony after a swarming flight, with the queen laying eggs that hatch into nymphs. Termites undergo incomplete (gradual) metamorphosis, with nymphs resembling small adults and molting repeatedly, differentiating into worker, soldier, or reproductive castes depending on colony needs and pheromonal cues.

Colonies are long-lived and perennial, persisting for years and producing new winged reproductives seasonally once mature, which disperse to found additional colonies. There is no distinct larval or pupal stage; growth is a gradual series of molts from nymph to adult form.