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A termite (also known
as a white ant) is any member of the order Isoptera, a group of
social insects that eat wood and other cellulose-rich vegetable
matter. Most termite species are tropical or subtropical, but
a few live in temperate regions. They are of great biological
and economic interest. Termites have biting mouthparts and are
soft-bodied, of moderate to small size. They live in dark nests
and tunnels, except when the winged alates emerge to leave their
parent colony. The bodies of flying individuals are dark, but
termites which remain in the nest are whitish with only their
heads being heavily pigmented. The temporary wings of termites
are long and slender, in two pairs that are similar to each other.
The veins near the anterior margin of the wing are strong and
the rest are faintly marked. The wings are shed after the swarming
termites find a new nest site.
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Termites do not
physically resemble ants; their "white ant" name is
probably due to their similar social habits. The termite colony
contains workers, soldiers, and reproductive individuals of both
sexes. The workers are developed in subordinate castes in several
species. The soldiers have large heads and strong jaws, and in
some species are highly specialized. Many have jaws so overdeveloped
that they cannot feed themselves without the assistance of workers,
and varieties are known that squirt noxious turpentine-like liquid
through a horn-like nozzle. In some colonies, the queen becomes
enormous and quite helpless through the expansion of her abdomen
as eggs develop. The workers feed and groom her and carry away
her eggs to nursery chambers.
Above Images Come From The USDA
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