Subterranean Termite

Termites are insects belonging to order Isoptera are usually called white ants. However apart from their social habit of living in colonies consisting of several forms of castes like (Queen, King, workers, soldiers and reproductives) they do not resemble true ants.

Termites are mostly pale brown to white, have no constriction between thorax and abdomen and have beaded antennae. Reproductive forms have two pair of equal wings and a pair of compound eyes.

Subterranean termites live in colonies in the ground and survive by consuming wood. In urban areas they have been found nesting between floor of buildings, trees and stumps and above the ground too in mounds. They work in a methodical manner, starting with the formation of colonies.

Workers and soldiers are blind, sterile and wingless and have thin cuticles that are sensitive to desiccation in dry or exposed environment and therefore you see the mud tunneling in places where you have infestation. The workers in the colony find a source of wood by burrowing through the ground and making tunnels, they bring back the food to feed other members of   the colony.

Life Cycle:

Queen lays eggs in large numbers.

These eggs hatch and the nymphs that emerge are fed by the workers.

By molting several times, the young nymphs differentiate into various castes like workers, soldiers and alates within a period of 2 months to several months depending on various environmental factors and thus the colony expands.