Termite Alate (Swarmers)
Scientific Name: Isoptera (Infraorder)
Order & Family: Order: Blattodea, Family: various (e.g., Rhinotermitidae)
Size: Typically 6mm to 12mm (1/4 to 1/2 inch) in length including wings.
Natural Habitat
Found indoors during swarming events or outdoors in damp soil, decaying wood, and underground colonies.
Diet & Feeding
Cellulose-based materials such as wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung.
Behavior Patterns
Alates are the reproductive members of a colony that fly out in large groups (swarms) to find mates and establish new colonies, usually after a rain event. After landing, they shed their wings and search for a suitable nesting site.
Risks & Benefits
They do not bite or sting humans, but they are major structural pests that can cause significant damage to wooden structures. In the ecosystem, they are beneficial decomposers that break down dead wood and aerate soil.
Identified on: 6/21/2026