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. |
