Coptotermes gestroi
Encyclopedia
Coptotermes gestroi, the Asian subterranean termite is a small species of termite
that lives underground. Both this species and the Formosan subterranean termite
, (Coptotermes formosanus) are destructive pests native to Asia, but have spread to other parts of the world including the United States. In Asia, this species is known as the Philippine milk termite.
The termite species Coptotermes havilandi was determined by Kirton and Brown in 2003 to be identical to Coptotermes gestroi so, following the principle of priority
, the older name is now used.
in 1932, Mauritius
in 1936 and Réunion
in 1957. It was first reported in Brazil
in 1923 and Barbados
in 1937 and spread to many islands in the West Indies. It also occurs in southern Mexico
. It was discovered in Fiji
in 2009.
It was found in a single house in Hawaii
in 1963 and was next detected there in 1999 and again in 2000, on the island of Oahu
. The species is the subject of a research project at the University of Hawaii
.
In 1996, a colony
was found to be infesting a church and store in Miami, Florida, and another infestation was discovered in 1999 in Key West
. Further discoveries were made in 2002 and 2006 and the species appears to have become established in Broward
and Dade counties. It has also been found on some boats moored off the coast of Florida and it is thought that the termite may have arrived in Florida via this means, with sexually mature adult
s reaching the mainland after nuptial flight
s. In the West Indies, it has become established in some natural woodland habitats but in Florida, it seems to be restricted to man made structures, trees growing close to them and boats. In the mainland United States, this species is likely to remain restricted to southern Florida because it is a tropical species and can only flourish with sufficient warmth.
and the front segments of the abdomen
are dark brown. There are two small pale spots on the head adjacent to the antennae
. On the forehead there is an opening called a fontanelle
which can extrude a white defensive secretion. In appearance, C. gestroi is very similar to C. formosanus but they can be differentiated under the microscope, with the number of hairs on the head of the soldier differing in the two species.
s. They emerge above ground and form a swarm containing many thousands of individuals. This usually happens in the evening or at night in the spring. When a swarm is found inside a building, this may be the first sign to the owners of the presence of termites in the structure. On returning to the ground, the alates shed their wings. They are unlikely to find a suitable place to start a colony inside a building but in the open, each female looks for an appropriate site with damp soil and moist timber. In a suitable crevice, a female and a male form a nursery chamber and fifteen to thirty eggs are laid. These are reared by the king and queen and a second batch of eggs are laid a few weeks later. Workers from the first batch care for these. It may take several years for the colony to build up to sufficient numbers for winged reproductives to be formed.
In a research study in Thailand, it was determined that the foraging population of an average colony was 1.13 to 2.75 million individuals.
containing materials and will drill holes in such materials as rubber, plastic
and styrofoam
in their search for food. They also attack living trees by consuming the heartwood which weakens the tree and can bring it down in a storm. They live underground and enter buildings through cracks, expansion joints and utility conduits. They sometimes form foraging tubes along the surface of the ground and the outside surfaces of structures. They eat structural timbers from the inside outwards, leaving a thin film of surface wood which may display a blistered appearance. In Singapore and Malaysia, this species is responsible for 80% to 90% of the damage caused to man-made structures by insects and it is the commonest species of termite found in built up areas.
Termite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
that lives underground. Both this species and the Formosan subterranean termite
Formosan subterranean termite
The Formosan subterranean termite is an invasive species of termite. It has been transported worldwide from its native range in southern China to Formosa and Japan...
, (Coptotermes formosanus) are destructive pests native to Asia, but have spread to other parts of the world including the United States. In Asia, this species is known as the Philippine milk termite.
The termite species Coptotermes havilandi was determined by Kirton and Brown in 2003 to be identical to Coptotermes gestroi so, following the principle of priority
Principle of Priority
thumb|270px|Boa manditraIn zoology, the scientific study of animals, the Principle of Priority is one of the guiding principles of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, defined by Article 23....
, the older name is now used.
Distribution
Coptotermes gestroi is endemic to Southeast Asia but it has spread to many other parts of the world over the course of the last century. It reached the Marquesas IslandsMarquesas Islands
The Marquesas Islands enana and Te Fenua `Enata , both meaning "The Land of Men") are a group of volcanic islands in French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France in the southern Pacific Ocean. The Marquesas are located at 9° 00S, 139° 30W...
in 1932, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
in 1936 and Réunion
Réunion
Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.Administratively, Réunion is one of the overseas departments of France...
in 1957. It was first reported in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in 1923 and Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
in 1937 and spread to many islands in the West Indies. It also occurs in southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. It was discovered in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
in 2009.
It was found in a single house in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
in 1963 and was next detected there in 1999 and again in 2000, on the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
. The species is the subject of a research project at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
.
In 1996, a colony
Colony (biology)
In biology, a colony reference to several individual organisms of the same species living closely together, usually for mutual benefit, such as stronger defense or the ability to attack bigger prey. Some insects live only in colonies...
was found to be infesting a church and store in Miami, Florida, and another infestation was discovered in 1999 in Key West
Key West
Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida on the North American continent at the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys. Key West is home to the southernmost point in the Continental United States; the island is about from Cuba....
. Further discoveries were made in 2002 and 2006 and the species appears to have become established in Broward
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
and Dade counties. It has also been found on some boats moored off the coast of Florida and it is thought that the termite may have arrived in Florida via this means, with sexually mature adult
Alate
An alate is a winged reproductive of a social insect . Alate females are typically those destined to become queens , whereas alate males are occasionally referred to as "drones"...
s reaching the mainland after nuptial flight
Nuptial flight
Nuptial flight is an important phase in the reproduction of most ant, termite and some bee species. During the flight, virgin queens mate with males and then land to start a new colony, or, in the case of honey bees, continue the planned succession of an existing hived colony.- Before the flight :A...
s. In the West Indies, it has become established in some natural woodland habitats but in Florida, it seems to be restricted to man made structures, trees growing close to them and boats. In the mainland United States, this species is likely to remain restricted to southern Florida because it is a tropical species and can only flourish with sufficient warmth.
Description
The body of the worker termite is small, white and translucent as are the limbs. The soldier is larger and also white but the ovoid head, the forward pointing mandibles, the prothoraxProthorax
The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites are the pronotum , the prosternum , and the propleuron on each side. The prothorax never bears wings in extant insects, though some fossil groups possessed...
and the front segments of the abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
are dark brown. There are two small pale spots on the head adjacent to the antennae
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
. On the forehead there is an opening called a fontanelle
Fontanelle
A fontanelle is an anatomical feature on an infant's skull.-Anatomy:Fontanelles are soft spots on a baby's head which, during birth, enable the bony plates of the skull to flex, allowing the child's head to pass through the birth canal. The ossification of the bones of the skull causes the...
which can extrude a white defensive secretion. In appearance, C. gestroi is very similar to C. formosanus but they can be differentiated under the microscope, with the number of hairs on the head of the soldier differing in the two species.
Life history
Like other species of termite, an Asian subterranean termite colony contains three primary castes: the workers, soldiers and reproductives. The workers are responsible for feeding the colony and caring for the young and the soldiers are responsible for its defence. The king mates with the queen, who's chief function over a life of many years is the continuous laying of eggs. Her abdomen increases in size enormously in comparison to that of the king. The workers feed her as she is unable to feed herself. In a mature colony, some eggs develop into winged reproductives, known as alateAlate
An alate is a winged reproductive of a social insect . Alate females are typically those destined to become queens , whereas alate males are occasionally referred to as "drones"...
s. They emerge above ground and form a swarm containing many thousands of individuals. This usually happens in the evening or at night in the spring. When a swarm is found inside a building, this may be the first sign to the owners of the presence of termites in the structure. On returning to the ground, the alates shed their wings. They are unlikely to find a suitable place to start a colony inside a building but in the open, each female looks for an appropriate site with damp soil and moist timber. In a suitable crevice, a female and a male form a nursery chamber and fifteen to thirty eggs are laid. These are reared by the king and queen and a second batch of eggs are laid a few weeks later. Workers from the first batch care for these. It may take several years for the colony to build up to sufficient numbers for winged reproductives to be formed.
In a research study in Thailand, it was determined that the foraging population of an average colony was 1.13 to 2.75 million individuals.
Damage
These termites are voracious feeders and will consume wood, cardboard and paper and sometimes even fabric. They feeds on all sorts of celluloseCellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to over ten thousand β linked D-glucose units....
containing materials and will drill holes in such materials as rubber, plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
and styrofoam
Styrofoam
Styrofoam is a trademark of The Dow Chemical Company for closed-cell currently made for thermal insulation and craft applications. In 1941, researchers in Dow's Chemical Physics Lab found a way to make foamed polystyrene...
in their search for food. They also attack living trees by consuming the heartwood which weakens the tree and can bring it down in a storm. They live underground and enter buildings through cracks, expansion joints and utility conduits. They sometimes form foraging tubes along the surface of the ground and the outside surfaces of structures. They eat structural timbers from the inside outwards, leaving a thin film of surface wood which may display a blistered appearance. In Singapore and Malaysia, this species is responsible for 80% to 90% of the damage caused to man-made structures by insects and it is the commonest species of termite found in built up areas.