termite
Sign in to saveTermites are a group of detritophagous eusocial cockroaches which consume a 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, unpigmented worker caste for which they have been commonly termed "white ants"; however, they are not ants but highly derived cockroaches. About 2,997 extant species are currently described, 2,125 of which are members of the family Termitidae.
AI overview
Termites are soft-bodied insects related to cockroaches that feed on decaying plant material like wood and leaf litter, often living in organized colonies. They matter because they are widespread—with nearly 3,000 known species—and their wood-eating habits can significantly impact human structures and ecosystems.
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Subclass of
- social insect
- Parent taxon
- Blattodea
- Image
- Coptotermes formosanus shiraki USGov k8204-7.jpg
Show 4 more facts
- P105
- infraorder
- P1889
- thermite
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Article
32 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Taxonomy and evolutionary history
- Early-diverging termite families
- Neoisoptera
- Distribution and diversity
- Description
- Caste system
- Life cycle
- Reproduction
- Behaviour and ecology
- Diet
- Predators
- Parasites, pathogens, and viruses
- Locomotion and foraging
- Competition
- Communication
- Relationship with other organisms
- Relationship with the environment
- Nests
- Mounds<!--"termite mounds" in Ant-hill article links here -->
- Shelter tubes
- Relationship with humans
- As pests
- As food
- In agriculture
- In science and technology
- In culture
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Cited literature
- External links
Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial cockroaches which consume a 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, unpigmented worker caste for which they have been commonly termed "white ants"; however, they are not ants but highly derived cockroaches. About 2,997 extant species are currently described, 2,125 of which are members of the family Termitidae.
Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattodea (the cockroaches). Termites were once classified in a separate order from cockroaches, but recent phylogenetic studies indicate that they evolved from cockroaches, as they are deeply nested within the group, and the sister group to wood-eating cockroaches of the genus Cryptocercus. Previous estimates suggested the divergence took place during the Jurassic or Triassic. More recent estimates suggest that they have an origin during the Late Jurassic, with later evidence revealing fossils from this time period.