|
Dampwood Termites
Dampwood Termite
Eastern Subterranean Termite
Drywood Termite
Formosan Termite
|
Desert Subterranean Termite
Powderpost Termite
Western Subterranean Termite
Western Drywood Termite |
Don't see what you're looking for? Click here for more examples.
Need to control Dampwood Termites? Click here.
COMMON NAME: Dampwood termite
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Various
CLASS l ORDER I FAMILY: Insecta / Isoptera / Kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae Termopsidae
METAMORPHOSIS: Simple
INTRODUCTION: Dampwood termites tend to locate their colonies in damp, sometimes decaying wood. Representative species of 3 termite families (kalotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Termopsidae) are included in this group. They vary in appearance from family to family. Virtually all of these termites are much larger than the eastern / western or desert subterranean termites. The nymphs are quite large, being up to 3/4" and the swarmers being up to 1" long including wings. They are found typically along the Pacific Coastal and adjacent states, the desert or semi-arid southwest, and southern-most Florida.
RECOGNITION OF REPRESENTATIVE GROUPS:
Termopsidae: Pacific Coast; Zootermopsis angusticollis (Hagen) and Zootermopsis nevadensis (Hagen).
Swarmer. Up to 1” long including wings. Fontanelle (frontal gland pore) and ocelli are lacking structures. The antenna are usually equipped with more than 22 segments. The front wing has 3 or more dark, heavily sclerotized (hardened) veins in front half / portion (between costa and median veins); they are not hairy. The tibia has 1 or more large spines along length and at the apex.
Soldier. Up to 3/8-3/4" long. The mandibles are not of equal length as are the number of teeth on each side of the pair. Both antennae typically have more than 22 segments. The tibia have spines along the length and also at the apex.
Swarmer. Are about 1/2" long including the wings. The fontanelle (frontal gland pore) is non-existent. Ocelli are present with antenna usually having fewer than 22 segments. The front wing with 3 or more dark, heavily sclerotized (hardened) veins in front half/portion (between costa and median veins); not hairy. The tibia have no spines along the length, but they are present at the apex.
Soldier. Mandibles have an unequal number of teeth on the inside of the pair. The antennae have fewer than 22 segments, with the 3rd segment not being enlarged. The tibia have no spines along the length.
Swarmer. About 9/16" long including wings. Fontanelle (frontal gland pore) is non-existent. Ocelli are present. The antenna is usually equipped with fewer than 22 segments. Its head and pronotum have very short hairs or very long hairs (about 1/2 eye diameter). The front wing has 4 dark, heavily sclerotized (hardened) veins in the front portion of the wing at about 1/3 wing length from body, with median vein heavily sclerotized. It is located close to other sclerotized front veins. The tibia has no spines along its length, but are present at the apex.
Soldier. Often up to 1/2" in length. Its mandibles have an unequal number of teeth on each member of the pair. The antenna has 16-22 segments, with the 3rd segment not being enlarged and about as long as the 4th and 5th segment combined. The eye spot is black or whitish (depends on the species). Its tibia lacks spines along the entire length.
Rhinotermitidae: Southern Florida; Prorhinotermes simplex (Hagen).
Swarmer. The swarmer is quite small and is about 3/8" long including wings. The fontanelle (frontal gland pore) is present, and may be inconspicuous. The front wing has 2 dark, heavily sclerotized (hardened) veins in the front portion, other veins are unpigmented, except for the basal third. Wings are broad, and arched in the middle. Color of the wing is translucent, and is not hairy. The front wing scale is distinctly larger than the hind wing scale and may overlap the basal portion of the hind wing.
Soldier. The head is more rounded (quite similar to the Formosan's), with a dorsal fontanelle (frontal gland pore opening. On the Formosan, it is on a slight tubercle/tube toward the front of the head). The mandibles lack teeth and the pronotum is flat, distinctly not as wide as head.
DAMAGE: Dampwood termites always eat across the grain, consuming both spring and summer wood. While doing this, they make a series of chambers/galleries connected by tunnels whose walls are smooth as though they were finely sandpapered. There is no soil in the galleries, but if conditions are extremely damp, the fecal pellets will stick to the gallery walls and appear as soil. If conditions are dry, the fecal pellets accumulate at the bottom of the galleries or are "kicked out" the same way as drywood termites do. They use their fecal pellets to seal off galleries of wood, similar to the way subterranean termites use soil. This is to maintain the humidity level in the gallery.
BIOLOGY: Dampwood termites are not subterranean termites except for the desert dampwood. They do not require contact with damp ground with the exception of the desert dampwood. They do require wood with a high moisture content. Wood in contact with the ground or with a constant moisture source is most prone to attack. Dampwood termites attack the wood directly and usually do not burrow in the soil.
The life history of the Pacific dampwood can be summarized as follows. Both male and female swarmers excavate a chamber, they enter, and the chamber is sealed. They mate and within about 2 weeks, eggs are laid and the colony is founded. The queen lays an about 12 eggs. The second batch is laid the next spring. Colony size varies greatly, but colonies as large as 4,000 members have been known. The colony size is substantially less than that of the eastern subterranean termite.
There is no worker caste in dampwood termites and the immatures perform all the tasks typically done by workers.
Fecal pellets are about 1/32 long and colored according to the wood being eaten. The pellets are usually very similar in shape (elongate oval) to those of drywoods but with the six sides flattened instead of concave. However, if the wood is very damp, the pellets may be spherical or round. The desert dampwood produces pellets shaped conically.
Swarming time varies with the termite family involved. The termite family swarming times range from January to October.
HABITS: Dampwood termites are typically found in logs, stumps, and old standing dead trees, but one species is commonly found in the dead limbs of live trees. From these places they move into structures, especially where wood is in contact with the ground or there is a constant moisture supply such as leaky pipes or leaves in a gutter adjacent to a structure. In general, check for moisture problems and/or decaying wood first, then for dampwood termites. Old gutters filled with leaves are an often overlooked material that has excellent moisture retention qualities.
|
