Characteristics of a Termite

Termites are social insects. They live in colonies, and each termite has a specific job within the nest. Termites feed on dead plant material for the most part, usually wood, leaf litter and soil. Termite species number in the thousands, and termites can cause damage to homes and crops with their feeding habits.

Types

Termites can be divided into three major types. The subterranean termite lives in nests dug under the ground and spends virtually no time exposed to the surface. Drywood and dampwood termites live above the ground and can be found in a variety of habitats. Termites have a rigid class system. Queens and kings mate with there being one queen per colony. The workers are the most abundant in the colony, spending most of their lives in the nest and adjoining tunnels gathering food and tending to the young. Soldier termites defend the colony from invaders and reproductives are termites that will become future kings and queens.

Identification

The majority of termite species have a pale brown to an almost white-colored body with a darker head. There is no waist between the insect's thorax and abdomen--a major difference between termites and ants. The antennae of a termite look like they are composed of tiny beads in a row. The non-reproductive termites have no wings and are virtually blind. The reproductives have two pairs of wings, a pair of eyes and a thicker skin.

Time Frame

All termites develop from an egg that then turns into a nymph and finally an adult. The eggs hatch into nymphs, which are taken care of and fed by the worker termites. They will molt their skin many times. The change into an adult termite can take several months to occur, with temperature, food availability and the size of the colony being factors. Termites have been around for millions of years, with very few changes along the way in their structure.

Misconceptions

Not all termites eat wood, as many people believe. Some eat grasses and other plant matter, and stay away from buildings and wooden structures. The ones that do eat wood cannot simply eat any and all wood they see, and they certainly cannot go through a building overnight, as some cartoons suggest. The termite will get cellulose and sugars from the wood they consume, but the inner core of most wood is too hard for them to eat. Another characteristic most termites share is the presence of tiny organisms within their guts that break the wood they eat down into what they can digest.

Expert Insight

Termites are the bitter enemies of ants. They will often compete for the same food sources where they live. Ants are larger than termites, and therefore have a distinct advantage in any fights over territory and food sources.