Longipeditermes longipes is a single species forest dwelling nasute genus that is dark in color, and is often seen openly foraging for food on the floor of the tropical forests of Malaysia and Borneo. There is no other species in this genus; it is a monotypic genus. Their foraging columns may stretch for nearly 100 meters (330 feet), in which workers fan out from their nests in search of lichen, ascending trees and lianas to get to them, which they then chew into balls and transport back home in a seemingly endless procession.
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Archives for termites
Termite pictures – Microtermes pakistanicus
Microtermes is a genus of Macrotermitinae that is so named because it is the opposite of Macrotermes, being pretty small in size, but still recognizably one of the Macrotermitinae, as can be inferred from the appearance of the workers. This particular species is likely to be Macrotermes pakistanicus, a wide ranging Microtermes species found in Pakistan eastwards to Thailand. They are highly common in agricultural estates.
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Termite pictures – Odontotermes longignathus
The Odontotermes genus is one of the Macrotermitinae and there are many species of Odontotermes, which are either subterranean or mound building. The Odontotermes range from Africa to Asia. They are so named from a small characteristic “tooth” which appears as a crenulation on the soldier’s left mandible. In some species, this “tooth” is rather prominent, but in other species quite obscure, only visible when the soldier opens its mandibles.
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Termite damage photos
In continuing from our recent post on termite damage here are more photos so you can see how termite damage looks like. These termite damages are all Coptotermes gestroi inflicted, and the damage extended to dozens of houses in one area of about 5 hectares (or more than 12 acres). Since all the houses were close by or interlinked, the termites (which probably comprised a few colonies altogether), ran rampant and caused a lot of damage. The damage was so severe that many of the houses could not be salvaged, with a huge drop in their market value.
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Dicuspiditermes
Dicuspiditermes is a genus closely related to Pericapritermes but can be distinguished by the front of the head steeply sloping downward (in the soldier). It is only found in the Oriental region, and confined to forested areas. The genus is unique in that the soldiers look distinctive, having overly large heads in proportion to their body making them clumsy outside their nests, whilst their mandibles are highly elongated and odd-looking, and work by means of flicking off advancing ants in the close confines of their tunnels.
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The flying termites or alates
There are lots of misconceptions about flying termites or termite alates. In scientific lingo, we call them imagos or alates (winged reproductives). Some people think these flying termites can attack wood. Others think these flying termites can fight (with ants). The truth is, these flying termites are winged reproductives that comprise either males or females whose sole purpose is to start new colonies and become the future king and queen of their new colony.
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The origin of termites
Termites are very ancient organisms; they have even existed before ants. So, perhaps it can be regarded that ants “adapted” their complex social structure from the termites, and not the other way around. What I notice is that termites back then and today are not much different in terms of morphology, or how they look. The origin of termites seems to be quite clear-cut; termites have not changed much in spite of being around for so long.
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Termite pictures – Coptotermes curvignathus
Coptotermes curvignathus (Holmgren) from the genus Coptotermes is a destructive termite species of tree plantations in South East Asia and attacks live trees. It is similar to other Coptotermes species like Coptotermes travians and Coptotermes gestroi with the main differences in its being larger, and having strong incurved mandibles, and also a distinctive habit of attacking trees by encasing the surface of the tree trunk with a layer of soil.
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The Nasutitermitinae termites
The Nasutitermitinae subfamily from the Termitidae family of termites is a very large category comprising many species spread throughout the Old and New World, of which there remains some species yet to be identified properly. However, all the Nasutitermitinae species can be recognized by their soldiers having a pointed snout at the front of their heads, called a nasus, and in virtually all species, the soldiers are smaller than the workers in terms of size. As a whole, they are mostly small termites.
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What do termites look like
There is much confusion (even ignorance) among the uninformed, as to what exactly do termites look like. To set the record straight, termites have broad waists and a more or less, rounded body with no curves. They have straight antennae which are flexible and pliable. That’s why termite workers are able to clean their antennae by bending it at will at any time, by turning it into their mouths.
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