Termite Species

Termites that live in the soil

It is another type of termite that many is facing There will be nests underground or on the ground. relying on coming above the ground to find food It can be divided into 3 subgroups:

Subterranean Termites

• Coptotermes travians
• Coptotermes curvignathus
• Coptotermes havilandi
• Coptotermes kalshoveni
• Coptotermes sepangensis

Termites that live in termite mounds. (Mound-Building Termites)

• Macrotermes gilvus
• Macrotermes pakistanicus
• Globitermes sulphureus
• Odontotermes

Termites that live in small nests (Carton-Nest Building Termites).

• Microtermes
• Nasutitermitinae
• Schedorhinotermes

termites that live in wood
They often hide and eat wood until it burrows. can be divided into two subgroups:

Dry-Wood Termites

• Cryptotermes cavifrons
• Cryptotermes brevis
• Cryptotermes bengalensis
• Cryptotermes cynocephalus

Damp-Wood Termites

• Neotermes greeni
• Neotermes castaneus
• Neotermes connexus
• Neotermes jouteli
• Neotermes kemneri

Whether it is a type of termite that lives in the wood or in the soil. They eat wood and other things that contain cellulose as their food. which means All types of termites can cause damage to our homes. But about 90% of the damage in Thailand is caused by Coptotermes species, considered the  "public enemy number 1"  of the country.

Coptotermes spp.

Family:  Rhinotermitidae (subfamily Coptotermitidae)

Genus:  Coptotermes

Type:  Subterranean Termites

Castes:  Queen termites, king termites, soldier termites, worker termites, and reproductive termites.

Nest type and behavior:  Subterranean termites build nests in the soil. and build a tunnel to walk from the soil to the food source Because they can easily lose moisture if they are outdoors. They often come to the ground looking for wood or cellulose sources. Cellulose is digested into starch by protozoa in their intestines.

Economic significance:  This termite is one of the most destructive pests in the world. Estimate that They damage buildings in Thailand worth over 280 million baht a year.

Microcerotermes species

Family:  Termitidae (Subfamily Microcerotermes)

Genus:  Microcerotermes

Species:  Termites living in small nests (Carton-Nest Building Termites)

Castes:  Queen termites, king termites, soldier termites, worker termites, and reproductive termites.

Nest Type and Behavior:   Usually builds small nests on the ground, on trees or on building structures. The nest is quite round or pointed cone shape. The clay nest is very hard and difficult to break. rough rough skin There are lobes or small petals protruding. The internal structure has small vents scattered everywhere. It often forms a hard, dry tube as a pathway to find food. The diameter is 0.2 – 0.3 centimeters. It is classified as the most destructive termite after termite Coptotermes.

Globitermes species

Family:  Termitidae (subfamily Amitermitinae)

Genus:  Globitermes

Species:  Termites that live in termite mounds. (Mound-Building Termites)

Castes:  Queen termites, king termites, soldier termites, worker termites, and reproductive termites.

Nest Type and Behavior:  This genus of termites build medium to large soil nests. dome-like With a diameter of 30-80 centimeters, a height of about 50-100 centimeters, the outer layer of the nest surface is like a thin layer of soil coated in the second layer is very strong and has ventilation scattered everywhere. and the innermost layer of the nest resembles a brain lump which will crumble and break easily is the habitat of the embryo This type of termites may bring soil coating along the surface of the wood or make a path to find food. and eat the wood into the length and transverse of the splinter Often found in rural buildings.

Cryptotermes spp.

Family:  Kalotermitidae

Currency:  Cryptotermes

Type:  Dry-Wood Termites

Castes:  Queen termites, king termites, soldier termites, worker termites, and reproductive termites.

Nest type and behavior:  Dry wood termites live only inside dead wood, trees or branches. Without making a pipe like an underground termite Requires low humidity to survive. The head of military caste termites is square, about 1.26 millimeters in size. The front part is short, blunt. Dark brown It has a short jaw, about 0.64 millimeters in size. When viewed from the side, it curves upward like a rhinoceros horn. 

This type of termite is often found as hard pellets. The size of an poppy seed fell on the ground. They will eat the wood from the inside until it burrows. without being able to observe from the outside Termites and larvae often live in the burrows. This type of termites are often found in coastal areas. (South and East of Thailand).

Termite Society

The basic castes in a colony are queens, kings, workers, soldiers and alates.

Termite Queen & King

Giving life to the colony

The function of the Queen and King in the termite colony is to reproduce. Starting out life as an Alate, they leave their parents' colony, drop to the ground and shed their wings to seek out an environment to nest. They care for their young until they are able to take over the duties of the colony.

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Termite Workers

Undertaking the most labour within the colony

The workers make up the largest number within a colony. They do all of the work (except defend and reproduce): feeding, grooming, excavating the nest and making tunnels. In doing their jobs, they cause the destruction that effects so many homes.

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Termite Soldiers

Defending within the colony

Soldiers defend the colony against attack by predatory enemies such as ants, and are equipped with large jaws, sticky fluids or chemical spray to do so.

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Alates

The future Queens & Kings

Alates are the winged reproductives that swarm out from the nest and establish new colonies. Male and females pair off and look for a suitable environment to mate. They are often confused with ant swarmers.

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