Western Drywood Termite
Incisitermes minor
This record describes Incisitermes minor (species). Recorded family: Kalotermitidae. Recorded order: Blattodea.
Identification and Appearance
Incisitermes minor is a species of termite in the family Kalotermitidae known commonly as the western drywood termite. It is native to western North America, including the western United States and northern Mexico. It has been found in many other parts of the United States, all the way to the East Coast. It has been reported from Toronto. It has been introduced to Hawaii. It has been noted in China and it is not uncommon in...
Wikipedia reference for Incisitermes minor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incisitermes_minor.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Blattodea (Cockroaches and Termites)
- Superfamily
- Blattoidea
- Family
- Kalotermitidae (Drywood and Dampwood Termites)
- Genus
- Incisitermes (Drywood Termites)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
w. & sw. US (WA-CA-UT-AZ) + Gulf states
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Incisitermes minor Hagen, 1858
About Cockroaches and Termites: the wider group
Order-level background for Blattodea, the group containing Incisitermes minor. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Blattodea includes ~4,600 cockroach species and ~3,000 termite species. Only about 30 cockroach species are associated with human habitats - less than 1% of all species.
Ecological role of the group
Termites contribute ~40% of soil arthropod biomass globally, far exceeding ants at ~10%. Cockroaches are ancient insects dating back 320 million years and are critical decomposers in tropical forest ecosystems, recycling leaf litter and dead wood.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Termites cause $5-30 billion in damage to structures in the U.S. annually. They damage approximately 600,000 American homes each year, with average repair costs of $3,000-$17,000. A subterranean termite colony can consume one pound of wood per day.
Recorded sources for this group: USDA, Orkin, Today's Homeowner, PNAS soil biomass study. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Western Drywood Termite (8)
Photo credits: no rights reserved, uploaded by Jesse Rorabaugh | (c) Toby, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Toby | (c) maiz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by maiz | (c) komalt1, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC) | Contributed by v belov; Additional contributions by 2R R R