Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial insects which consume a wide variety of decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, and soil humus. They are distinguished by their moniliform antennae and the soft-bodied and often unpigmented worker caste for which they have been commonly termed "white ants"; however, they are not ants, to which they are distantly related. About 2,972 extant species are currently described, 2,105 of which are members of the family Termitidae.
Heneicosane is the organic compound with the formula CH3(CH2)19CH3. It is the straight chain, saturated C21 hydrocarbon. It is a white wax.
Reticulitermes flavipes, the eastern subterranean termite, is the most common termite found in North America. These termites are the most economically important wood destroying insects in the United States and are classified as pests. They feed on cellulose material such as the structural wood in buildings, wooden fixtures, paper, books, and cotton. A mature colony can range from 20,000 workers to as high as 5 million workers and the primary queen of the colony lays 5,000 to 10,000 eggs per year to add to this total.
Bacillus oleronius is a Gram-negative bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus. However, Bacillus oleronius has Gram-positive cell wall components shared among all bacillus species. It was first described in 1995 and was found in the hindgut of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes. It is also found in the human skin parasitic mite Demodex folliculorum, and may be related to the development of a type of rosacea.
Trichonympha is a genus of single-celled, anaerobic parabasalids of the order Hypermastigia that is found exclusively in the hindgut of lower termites and wood roaches. Trichonympha’s bell shape and thousands of flagella make it an easily recognizable cell. The symbiosis between lower termites/wood roaches and Trichonympha is highly beneficial to both parties: Trichonympha helps its host digest cellulose and in return receives a constant supply of food and shelter. Trichonympha also has a variety of bacterial symbionts that are involved in sugar metabolism and nitrogen fixation.
The little brown bat or little brown myotis is an endangered species of mouse-eared microbat found in North America. It has a small body size and glossy brown fur. It is similar in appearance to several other mouse-eared bats, including the Indiana bat, northern long-eared bat, and Arizona myotis, to which it is closely related. Despite its name, the little brown bat is not closely related to the big brown bat, which belongs to a different genus.
The Sentricon Termite Colony Elimination System is a subterranean termite pest control product developed and manufactured by Corteva. It was introduced in 1995 as a termite baiting system and an alternative to liquid termicide soil barriers. It eliminates all members of the termite colony, including those of the Formosan subterranean termite colonies.
Tandem running is a pair movement coordination observed in ants and termites.
Parastylotermes is an extinct genus of termite in the Isoptera family Stylotermitidae known from North America, Europe, and India. The genus contains five described species, Parastylotermes calico, Parastylotermes frazieri, Parastylotermes krishnai, Parastylotermes robustus, and Parastylotermes washingtonensis.
Reticulitermes is a termite genus in the family Rhinotermitidae. They are found in most temperate regions on Earth including much of Asia and the Middle East, Western Europe, and all of North America.
Reticulitermes banyulensis is a species of termite of the family Rhinotermitidae found in the Roussillon region in France.
Methanobrevibacter cuticularis is a species of methanogen archaeon. It was first isolated from the hindgut of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes. It is rod-shaped, ranging in size from 0.34 to 1.6 µm and possesses polar fibers. Its morphology, gram-positive staining reaction, resistance to cell lysis by chemical agents and narrow range of utilizable substrates are typical of species belonging to the family Methanobacteriaceae. It habitates on or near the hindgut epithelium and also attached to filamentous prokaryotes associated with the gut wall. It is one of the predominant gut biota.
Margaret James Strickland Collins was an African-American child prodigy, entomologist (zoologist) specializing in the study of termites, and a civil rights advocate. Collins was nicknamed the "Termite Lady" because of her extensive research on termites. Together with David Nickle, Collins identified a new species of termite called Neotermesluykxi. When Collins earned her PhD., she became the first African American female entomologist and the third African American female zoologist.
Dysgonomonas termitidis is a Gram-negative, anaerobic and non-motile bacterium from the genus of Dysgonomonas which has been isolated from the gut of the termite Reticulitermes speratus.
Reticulitermes speratus, the Japanese termite, is a species of subterranean termite found in Japan, North Korea, and South Korea. It eats decayed wood. It is adapted to withstand the cold temperatures of the temperate regions it inhabits.
Reticulitermes arenincola is a species of subterranean termite native to North America.
Reticulitermes virginicus is a species of subterranean termite native to North America, found often in the southern United States. It was described in 1907.
Reticulitermes tibialis, the arid-land subterranean termite, is a species of termite in the family Rhinotermitidae. It is found in the United States, mostly in the western half, occurring in deserts, prairies and other dry locations.
Heterotermes aureus, commonly known as the desert subterranean termite, is a species of termite in the family Rhinotermitidae. It is native to the deserts of North America where the colony has an underground nest.
An ant supercolony is an exceptionally large ant colony, consisting of a high number of spatially separated but socially connected nests of a single ant species, spread over a large area without territorial borders. Supercolonies are typically polygynous, containing many egg-laying females. Workers and queens from different nests within the same supercolony can freely move among the nests, and all workers cooperate indiscriminately with each other in collecting food and care of the brood, and show no apparent mutual aggressive behavior.
