Termite alate (discarded wings)

Subterranean or inside wooden structures; often found indoors after a seasonal mating flight.

Cellulose-based materials such as wood, leaf litter, and paper product debris.

Social insects that swarm in large numbers to mate and found new colonies; they shed their wings (dealates) immediately after landing.

Structural risk to homes as they can cause significant damage to wooden foundations/framing; beneficial in nature as decomposers of dead wood.