Dry-wood termite
Dry-wood termites are a diverse group of insects comprising over 400 species found worldwide. They are unique in their ability to live and feed on dry wood, including materials like dead branches and timber in human structures such as houses and warehouses. These termites form large colonies, which can range from a few hundred to several million individuals, and construct complex nests made from dead wood, dirt, saliva, and waste. The colonies are characterized by a caste system, with a single queen and her mate, the king, at the center. The queen is prolific, laying thousands of eggs daily, while other members of the colony take on roles as soldiers or caretakers of the young. Dry-wood termites can be identified by their off-white to light brown bodies, typically about one inch long, with the queen reaching up to 5.5 inches. Their feeding activity can lead to damage in wooden structures, which is often detected through the presence of small, round fecal pellets known as frass. With lifespans exceeding ten years for the king and queen, dry-wood termites play significant roles in their ecosystems, although their presence in human habitats can pose challenges.
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Dry-wood termite
More than 400 species of dry-wood termites live throughout the world. These insects feed and live in dry wood, like dead branches in nature and building timber in houses and warehouses.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Blattodea
Family: Kalotermitidae
Genus: Various (see below)
Species: Various (see below)
Like other termites, dry-wood termites live in large colonies of a few hundred to several million individual termites. These colonies build elaborate nests. In nature, dry-wood termites build their nests in dead tree branches. These insects also inhabit the dry-wood areas in homes and other buildings. Dry-wood termite nests are constructed from dead wood, dirt, saliva, and waste products. Inside the nests, dry-wood termites live and work in a system of passageways and chambers.
These off-white and light brown insects have six legs and antennae. Their narrow, oval bodies usually grow to about one inch (2 1/2 centimeters) in length, but queen termites may grow to be up to 5 1/2 inches (14 centimeters) long. Each termite colony has only one queen, which leads the colony with her mate, the king. The queen termite spends almost all her time pregnant with thousands of tiny, white termite eggs. These eggs cause her to swell to an enormous size for such a tiny insect. At 5 1/2 inches (14 centimeters), the queen is too large to move herself and becomes a kind of egg-producing machine within the colony.
Queen and king dry-wood termites begin their lives as reproductive termites. They leave their original colonies to form new colonies of their own. Not all termites do this. Some termites are born to be soldier termites. They defend the colony from predators like centipedes, spiders, and army ants. In the social structure of other termite species, some termites are born to be worker termites. They spend their whole lives in the colony where they are born helping the queen termite, caring for young termites, and finding food. In dry-wood termite colonies, the young soldier termites assume this role until they are old enough to protect the colony. This system of living, in which each termite belongs to a certain position in the colony, is known as a caste system. Because dry-wood termites do not have a true worker termite caste, their caste system differs from other species.
In this caste system, the queen and king dry-wood termites are the only termites that reproduce. A single queen termite produces thousands of eggs each day. As she lays eggs, young dry-wood (worker) termites carry them away to be put into nursery chambers. There, the eggs are cared for and the young are fed. During this process, the queen produces special chemicals which determine the castes of her offspring. These chemicals are carried by the worker termites and given to the young as they are fed. Eventually, young termites grow and leave the nursery chambers to begin their lives in the colony's social structure.
As their name suggests, dry-wood termites feed on various dry-wood products including dead branches, building timbers, and firewood. Dry-wood termites often feed on the dry wooden beams and other structures in homes. Their presence is marked by round pellets of powdery wood, which is the dry-wood termite's feces, called frass.
Termites can have long life spans. King and queen termites may live more than 10 years.
Bibliography
Brammer, Angela S., and Rudolf H. Scheffrahn. "Drywood Termite, Cryptotermes Cavifrons Banks (Insecta: Blattodea: Kalotermitidae)." UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida, Feb. 2021, edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/IN537. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024.
"Consumer Information on Drywood Termites." State of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, June 2020, ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/3145/file/06-Consumer‗Info‗Drywood‗Termites‗01742‗rev06-2020.pdf. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024.
"Drywood Termites." Pest World, National Pest Management Association, www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/termites/drywood-termites. Accessed 5 Apr. 2024.