THE INSECTLIBRARY FIELD GUIDES
TermiteIdentification, facts & practical guidance
Termites are social insects within Blattodea. They are related to cockroaches, but a list of all cockroaches is not a list of termites.
Compiled by the InsectLibrary Team · Updated · Editorial policy
Identification and lookalikes
Winged termites have a broad waist, relatively straight antennae and similarly sized pairs of wings. Winged ants usually have a narrow waist, elbowed antennae and unequal wing pairs. Wings or damage alone may need expert interpretation.
Why termite type matters
Subterranean, drywood and dampwood termites differ in nesting and moisture requirements. Mud tubes, discarded wings, wood damage and pellets are useful inspection clues, but no single clue describes every termite group.
What to do next
Arrange a qualified structural inspection for suspected activity. Preserve photographs and specimens when safe. Do not assume a surface spray reaches a hidden colony or that one treatment fits all termite types.
Termite: species profiles
Explore 36 species profiles covered by this guide, with recorded names and available photos.
Pacific Dampwood Termite
Zootermopsis angusticollis
(c) Abby Hyde, some rights reserved (CC BY)Western Subterranean Termite
Reticulitermes hesperus
Western Drywood Termite
Incisitermes minor
Blackmound Termite
Amitermes hastatus
Yellownecked Dry-wood Termite
Kalotermes flavicollis
Nevada Dampwood Termite
Zootermopsis nevadensis
Light Southeastern Drywood Termite
Incisitermes snyderi
Tenuirostritermes cinereus
Tenuirostritermes cinereus
West Indian Drywood Termite
Cryptotermes brevis
Ringant Termite
Neotermes insularis
Magnetic Termite
Amitermes meridionalis
Arizona Dampwood Termite
Zootermopsis laticeps
Sources and further reading
- ipm.ucanr.edu - subterranean and other termiteshttps://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/subterranean-and-other-termites/
References support the subject discussed here; they do not certify every imported directory record. Regional sources describe their own locations. Read our source and correction policy.