Macrotermes gilvus (Macrotimitinae) is the most common mound building termite throughout South East Asia, but at the same time, there are also several subspecies which have slight variation, mostly in terms of size. They build a stout mound which under good conditions, may attain large size, and reach almost 2 meters in height.
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Archives for termites
Coptotermes – The top subterranean termite pests
The Coptotermes genus have perhaps the most infamous termite species in the world. While there are many species in this genus, most of the differences between species are small, and can only be detected after careful examination with a microscope. Nonetheless, the Coptotermes termites can generally be distinguished from other termite species due to their appearance: Whitish colored workers, and soldiers with ovoid, orange heads, sharp mandibles, and pale body.
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Termite pictures – Macrotermes carbonarius
Macrotermes carbonarius is the only open foraging Macrotermes species and also the only black species, that I know of. It is found in South East Asia and parts of Indochina, but its range is patchy and it is only locally abundant. This means where it occurs, it is common, but where it is not found, there is no trace of them, even over vast swaths of what would be considered suitable habitat. It mainly occurs in lowland rainforest areas, but can be found in crop/agricultural plantations.
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The Macrotermes termites
The Macrotermes genus (subfamily Macrotermitinae) has some very interesting species of termites. They are the largest termite species of all, if you take into account the size of the queen, which can attain a length of nearly 6 inches (15 cm) in Macrotermes natalensis. There are about 330 species in the Macrotermes genus, spread out over tropical Africa and Asia.
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The soldier termites
The soldier caste is responsible for defending and protecting the colony from enemies (which are mainly ants). They have protruding jaws and larger, armored heads than the workers, which are often a shade of yellow, orange, brown, or red. The soldiers of some species have snouts instead of jaws in which they squirt a repellent liquid at invading ants. Termite soldiers may be either male or female.
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The worker termites
The worker termites are the main caste of the termite colony. When a new reproductive pair of alates has settled down and the queen has started laying eggs, worker termites are always the first brood to emerge from the eggs. In some species there are 2 (sometimes even 3) size versions; a major variant (which is larger and often darker), and a minor variant (which is smaller). This trait is called polymorphism, and it also occurs in many species of ants.
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The termite colony
Termites live in well structured social systems, much like ants. There is a queen, a king, workers, and soldiers. Some species may have several queens and kings, but generally, the typical termite colony is ruled by a single queen and a male king, while the rest of the workers and soldiers are sterile males and females. Unlike other social insects like ants, wasps, and bees, termites have both genders in the worker and soldier caste.
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Termite identification
Termites may be called “white ants”, but actually, termites can also be black in color. Termites are found in a wide range of colors depending on species. There are nearly 3000 species of termites in the world, but scientists cannot be sure of the actual figure, because most species are found in the tropics and in tropical rainforests, where there may be yet undiscovered species occurring. Among lay people, termite identification can be a slight problem, as they are often confused with ants.
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Introduction to termites
Termites. Most people loath termites because of their reputation. But termites have been around on the earth for a very long time, and are essential to many habitats and ecosystems – Far longer than most creatures on earth today. Known as “white ants” to some folks, termites are most numerous in the tropics, but they are also found in many temperate regions of the globe. Read on to obtain an introduction to termites.
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