Jump to content

  • Chat
  •  
  •  

Welcome to Formiculture.com!

This is a website for anyone interested in Myrmecology and all aspects of finding, keeping, and studying ants. The site and forum are free to use. Register now to gain access to all of our features. Once registered and logged in, you will be able to create topics, post replies to existing threads, give reputation points to your fellow members, get your own private messenger, post status updates, manage your profile and so much more. If you already have an account, login here - otherwise create an account for free today!

Photo

Florida Termite Identification.

florida termite large orange identification kings and queens

  • Please log in to reply
9 replies to this topic

#1 Offline AntswerMe - Posted May 13 2017 - 1:31 PM

AntswerMe

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 129 posts
  • LocationJacksonville, Florida, United States of America





Hey there, I just found these four termite alates last night in northeastern Florida at night by an outside light. (I found eight of them, but only kept these four as each pair consisted of one termite following closely behind another, which termites do when the king follows the queen to find a suitable nesting site.) I put them in a test tube set up with some damp wood so they can eat. (Cellulose.) These termites are about twice as large as the subterranean termite king and queen I currently have which are doing well. They are also more of an orange color as opposed to the subterranean termites I already have. In the images, I have them next to some Solenopsis invicta queens and nanitic workers for a size comparison. Since are many species of termite in Florida, including some invasive ones, I was wondering what species of termite these are. Are they the subterranean, damp wood, or dry wood variety, and exactly what species are they? Thanks in advance!

Edited by AntswerMe, May 13 2017 - 1:33 PM.

  • Brantpa likes this

#2 Offline Martialis - Posted May 13 2017 - 3:56 PM

Martialis

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,516 posts
  • LocationMississippi

The photos are a bit to bright to ID. ;)

 

Those are some nice Solenopsis though.


Edited by Martialis, May 13 2017 - 3:57 PM.

Spoiler

#3 Offline AntswerMe - Posted May 13 2017 - 6:02 PM

AntswerMe

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 129 posts
  • LocationJacksonville, Florida, United States of America
Yeah, I had the phone light on. I'll take some more pictures without the light.

Edited by AntswerMe, May 13 2017 - 6:03 PM.


#4 Offline AntswerMe - Posted May 13 2017 - 6:59 PM

AntswerMe

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 129 posts
  • LocationJacksonville, Florida, United States of America
http://imgur.com/iSmlr9L
http://imgur.com/urQge2X
http://imgur.com/md9vutc
http://imgur.com/pcO1seP
Here are some more.

Edited by AntswerMe, May 13 2017 - 7:00 PM.


#5 Offline AntswerMe - Posted May 13 2017 - 7:09 PM

AntswerMe

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 129 posts
  • LocationJacksonville, Florida, United States of America
Oops, it did the thing, oh whatever, at least the pictures are there.

#6 Offline Vendayn - Posted May 13 2017 - 9:15 PM

Vendayn

    Advanced Member

  • Banned
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,981 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California

Are they yellow? I can't really tell.

 

If they are, almost certainly Formosan subterranean termites.


Edited by Vendayn, May 13 2017 - 9:15 PM.


#7 Offline Aaron567 - Posted May 13 2017 - 10:42 PM

Aaron567

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,005 posts
  • LocationPensacola, FL
I've also been seeing these large orange termites at night. They look cool. Still fed some to my Camponotus though.

#8 Offline Vendayn - Posted May 13 2017 - 11:00 PM

Vendayn

    Advanced Member

  • Banned
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,981 posts
  • LocationOrange County, California

I've also been seeing these large orange termites at night. They look cool. Still fed some to my Camponotus though.

If these are orange (and not yellow) and large, they are actually more likely to be dampwood termites and not Formosan subterranean termites. They looked yellow in the pictures, but orange would almost certainly make them dampwood and especially if they are big. Which Florida does have dampwood termites.

 

http://entnemdept.uf.../neotermes.html

 

(actually didn't notice the size of the termites compared to the Solenopsis queens. Yeah, those are Dampwood termites. While not Pacific dampwood termite size, they are still one of the largest termite species in North America. Nice, they are really awesome. Can be hard to keep as they need specialized conditions. I actually do not have any advice there, you may want to read up yourself if you plan to keep them long term. Maybe design something similar to Termitat from kickstarter as those seem to work well (haven't had one, but maybe later this year. Someone here recently got one and it seems to work well). I think a test tube should be fine to start them in though, I don't see why not.

 

As for Formosan subterranean termite, their alates would be a lot smaller. That only leaves the Dampwood termite species at that size.)


Edited by Vendayn, May 13 2017 - 11:07 PM.

  • LC3 likes this

#9 Offline AntswerMe - Posted May 14 2017 - 2:18 AM

AntswerMe

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 129 posts
  • LocationJacksonville, Florida, United States of America
Oh, cool! Damp wood termites are neat. From images, it looks like it may be Neotermes castaneus. Thanks.

#10 Offline Connectimyrmex - Posted January 4 2018 - 12:17 PM

Connectimyrmex

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 1,864 posts
  • LocationAvon, Connecticut

Did you get any eggs from these guys?


Hawaiiant (Ben)

Keeper of
Miniature Labradoodle
Baby Wolf Spider
Mud Dauber wasp larvae
Ochetellus Glaber
Solenopsis Geminata
Brachymyrmex Obscurior
Cardiocondyla Emeryi
Tetramorium Bicarinatum
Plagiolepis Alluaudi
Anoplolepis Gracilipes
Technomyrmex Difficilis
Pheidole Megacephala
Aholehole fish
Cowrie snail
Sea Fan Worm
100+ sea squirts
Tree seedlings
Ghost Crab
Day Gecko
Small Fat Centipede
Endemic Lacewing larva
Vernal Pool shrimps





Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: florida, termite, large, orange, identification, kings and queens

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users