Subterranean Termite Alate

Natural Habitat

Found in soil or underground galleries, but swarmers (alates) emerge to fly into buildings and open areas during reproductive seasons.

Diet & Feeding

Cellulose found in wood, paper, and leaf litter. They digest these materials using protozoa in their gut.

Behavior Patterns

They are social insects with a caste system. Alates are the reproductive 'swarmers' that leave established colonies to mate and start new colonies, usually after warm spring rains.

Risks & Benefits

They pose a significant risk of structural damage to homes and buildings by consuming wooden supports. In the ecosystem, they are beneficial as decomposers that break down dead wood and return nutrients to the soil.

Identified on: 3/1/2026