| Size: |
Eastern subterranean termite swarmers are about 3/8 in (9mm) long, including wings. |
| Color: |
Body is dark brown to almost black. Wings are translucent to slightly smoky. |
| Characteristics: |
Swarmer: Front wing has 2 dark, hardened veins in front part; other veins are not pigmented, with a few barely visible hairs. Front wing scale is larger than hind wing scale. Soldier: Head is rectangular in shape, not narrowed towards front; length is about 1.5 times the width. Mandibles lack teeth and tips curve inward. |
| Geographic Range: |
Southern Ontario, Canada south through the eastern United States and into Texas. |
| Food: |
Spring wood; the subterranean termite cannot effectively digest the lignin in summer wood. |
| Biology: |
Similar to western subterranean termite. After swarming, a pair breaks off their wings and burrows into the soil. Here they mate and the femaile produces only a few eggs the first year, increasing up to 5,000-10,000 eggs a year when she is mature. The queen can live for many years, and workers can live 1-2 years. Swarmers are produced the 3rd or 4th year at the earliest. Swarming occurs in the daytime, typically during the morning of the day following a warm rain. Spring is typically when swarming occurs, but it may possibly be followed by one or more smaller swarms until winter. In the extreme northern states and Canada, swarmers are rarely seen. |
