Winged termites (alates)

Moist soil, decaying wood, wall voids, and wooden structures; often emerge indoors from established colonies.

Workers digest cellulose from wood, cardboard, and other plant material using gut microbes. Alates generally stop feeding during dispersal flights.

Winged reproductives swarm under warm, humid conditions, then shed their wings and pair to establish new colonies. Their presence indoors can indicate a nearby infestation.

They can cause significant structural damage when colonies infest timber. Ecologically, termites recycle dead wood and return nutrients to soil; identification should be confirmed against winged ants, which have narrower waists and elbowed antennae.