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Termites are social insects that can be found in most parts of the world. Though they are largely known for the destructive behavior in relation to wood structures, termites are involved with many other aspects of human life. These roles vary from being part of many culture's diets, to possibly shedding light on the future of green... more »
Termites, like bees and ants, work in a social order based on the hive construct. This means that the insect cooperates with the entire group to find food sources such as wood. Colonies consist of workers, soldiers and egg-laying queens. Of the approximately 4,000 different species of termites, about 10 percent warrant a significant... more »
Termites are social insects that cause serious structural damage to buildings, crops and forests worldwide, especially in areas with a warm and damp climate.
Although termite activity can create problems for humans, they are ecologically important for their ability to recycle nutrients and assist in soil formation. more »
Termites are a good example of the old saying about strength in numbers. Alone, a termite seems harmless enough, but get a colony of hundred or thousands of termites, and you could find your home seriously damaged. Because termites are small, their damage to your property might go unnoticed at first, but as they increase in number so... more »
Termites are social insects that live in complex colonies of a million or more. Although they cannot see or hear in the way humans do, they have developed ways to communicate through chemicals, vibration and contact. These techniques allow termites to sense danger, find food, reproduce and perform other functions. more »
A soldier termite is easy to identify by its looks. As with other termites in a colony, its appearance is a function of the job it does within its... more »
Termites are social insects that closely resemble ants, except for a few subtle differences. They cause billions of dollars worth of damages in... more »
Termites have been around since time began. They are social insects that feed upon dead plant material, usually wood. They live in colonies that... more »
Ground termites, also known as subterranean termites, are wood eaters and cause more damage than their counterpart, dry wood termites. Ground... more »
Termites are tiny insects that feed on wood. When the exterior of a home is not tightly secured, these insects can work their way into the walls.... more »
image_caption [[Formosan subterranean termite soldiers (red colored heads) and workers (pale colored heads).
| regnum phylum [[Arthropoda
| classis subclassis [[Pterygota
| infraclassis superordo [[Dictyoptera
| ordo Isoptera
| subdivision_ranks Families
| subdivision
Mastotermitidae
Kalotermitidae
Termopsidae
Hodotermitidae
Rhinotermitidae
Serritermitidae
Termitidae
}}
The termites are a group of eusocial insects usually classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera (but see also taxonomy below). Along with ants and some bees and wasps which are all placed in the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labour among gender lines, produce overlapping generations and take care of young collectively. Termites mostly feed on dead plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung, and about 10% of the estimated 4,000 species (about 2,600 taxonomically known) are economically significant as pests that can cause serious structural damage to buildings, crops or plantation forests. Termites are major detritivores, particularly in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of wood and other plant matter is of considerable ecological importance.
As eusocial insects, termites live in colonies that, at maturity, number from several hundred to several million individuals. Colonies use a decentralised, self-organised systems of activity guided by swarm intelligence to exploit food sources and environments that could not be available to any single insect acting alone. A typical colony contains nymphs (semi-mature young), workers, soldiers, and reproductive individuals of both genders, sometimes containing several egg-laying queens.
Termites are sometimes called "white ants", though they are not closely related to true ants.
Social organization
Reproductives
A female that has flown, mated, and is producing eggs is called a "queen". Si read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Termite
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