ISOPTERA: TERMITES
Like ants (with which they are often confused), termites are social insects that live in communal nests consisting of a single reproductive king and queen and tens of thousands of immature workers. Three "castes" of termites exist, wingless workers, large-jawed soldiers and winged reproductive adults. Workers and soldiers have pale bodies, small or absent compound eyes and beaded antennae. Typically the head is large and cylindrical or small and rounded. Winged adults are usually dark-coloured with obvious compound eyes and two pairs of wings - these being shed after mating. Termites are wood eaters, which has led to many species being considered pests. However the insects cannot actually digest wood themselves, they have a symbiotic relationship with gut protozoans and bacteria which break down the wood fibres and release nutrients which feed the termite. In tropical forest areas termites are usually the dominant organism in terms of biomass. The name Isoptera is taken from the Greek meaning "equal wings" and refers to the fact that the four wings of termites are of equal length. For more information on termites see Gordon´s Termite Page.
Designed by Paul Smith 2006. This website is copyrighted by law. Material contained herewith may not be used without the prior written permission of FAUNA Paraguay. Photographs on this web-site were taken by Paul Smith, Hemme Batjes, Regis Nossent,
Alberto Esquivel, Arne Lesterhuis, Rebbeca Zarza, José Luis Cartes and Hugo del Castillo and are used with their permission.
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FIGURE 1 - Winged adult, Encarnación, Departamento Itapúa (Paul Smith August 2007).
FIGURE 2 - Workers in rotting wood, PROCOSARA, PN San Rafael (Paul Smith November 2007).
FIGURE 3 - Nest, location unknown (Paul Smith undated).
FIGURE 4 - Nest, Estancia Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro (Paul Smith November 2005).
