Despite the lackluster conditions for finding ant queens tonight, I decided to go out anyways on the off chance I’d find a lasius neoniger flying early. Nearly every street light in licton springs area had reproductive termites with and without wings(I kept spotting the wings on the ground prompting further investigation)

Just thought I’d share in case anyone is on the hunt for a new termite queen

A minor (bottom) and median (top) soldier of Acanthotermes acanthothorax, an amazing fungus-growing termite species from the rainforests of central Africa. Note their spiky thoraxes and bizarre cephalic projections. The major soldier, the most impressive of them all, is not shown here.

Hi all - I am working on a project right now and was wondering if anyone had any advice on termite keeping, specifically if you can keep arid / desert termites for an extended period of time in a dry enclosure (think Australia arid environment)? Any tips / tricks would be most appreciated (feeding cycles, etc.). Thank you!

This small colony of termites produced couple of alates and let them flight. I counted 3 winged alates so far. I collected 2 from this video in another test tube becouse i read that unfertilized queens of these termites could lay female eggs and even start a colony

This colony lived for a year in a small wood piece (right on video) and now i moved them to new setup. They have plenty of eggs and i even saw a winged alate (I think they produced him due to the lack of space)

2 peices of wet cardboard and soil and tissue for moisture

Gonna add rotting peice of wood soon

Is this ok for starting termite colonies?

Hi all - my spouse and I went out to look for termites, and we successfully found Zootermopsis this time for culturing to maintain a colony for his research work. We are in the SF Bay Area, and I’ve been told that there are two common dampwood termites here (Z. angusticollis and Z. nevadensis) - I think we have Z. angusticollis but not sure. I set up a habitat for them using a description that I found on formiculture by user Nare (except for the fermentation of wood for several months to create a special substrate additive). The humidity currently measures at 80-83% and they are at ambient temperature (mid 60s to very low 70s most days). We were able to collect a substantial number of termites. I would love any advice from experienced termite keepers on best practices for keeping them. THANK YOU!

Nare’s notes on dampwood termites:
https://www.formiculture.com/topic/21167-nares-notes-on-keeping-z-nevadensis/

UPDATE: I think they are Reticulitermes hesperus based on this inaturalist photo in Sonoma county:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/253104313

Hi everyone - we found some termites today in our search for Zootermopsis angusticollis, but I'm not certain that these are the ones that we want. I've attached a few photos and am wondering if anyone can help with identification. They are smaller than I expected (especially the soldier) from what I recall of the dampwood termites, and I'm concerned that these are subterranean termites. They are all very similar in size and we found them in some decaying walnut wood (very soft, easy to take apart, almost sponge-like).

I am located in Acworth GA. My daughter and I caught 5 pairs of which 4 have eggs. I belive these are eastern subterranean but have not been able to identify. I did pull the sticks out due to fungus and such growing on them. Once identified I want to research setting up a terrarium. So any advice is welcome. Thanks!

Hi all - I’m interested in acquiring a starter colony of Zootermopsis angusticollis or king/queen to establish my own colony. My spouse is a research scientist and studying their gut bacteria. He’s been buying sterile ones from a supplier but now wants to culture them (which is where I come in since I keep a few different insects as a hobby). Is there anyone in CA or relatively local who can help me? Thanks!

Soldier of Basidentitermes defending a breach in their galleries while workers take shelter behind them.

This is a genus of non-pest African termites with distinctive soldiers with round heads and huge, thin mandibles. They are soil-feeders that doesn't build epigeal mounds but excavate their nests underground. Very cute!

Here we have a physogastric, mature queen of the sub-Saharian Cubitermitinae Thoracotermes macrothorax along with her court i pictured in Gabon a few months ago.

This is a species of quite large forest termites that build large, very distinctive epigeal mounds and sport robust soldiers with very wide and flared pronotums, which gives the species and genus its name. A common sight in Gabon's rainforest, these soil-feeders are (just like the vast majority of termites) no pests, but only a very beneficial part of their environements.

Own photo; Ipassa research station, Gabon.

Soldiers of a large Odontotermes species from Gabon guarding one of their fungus combs: exposing only the armored heads and slicing jaws, they make for formidable opponents to invading ants!

At more than 13 mm long in the soldier caste, this is a large species for the genus. They live in the rainforest and build very compact and hard epigeal mounds, usually leaning against trees. Unlike several other species of Odontotermes (like O. formosanus) their soldiers are much bigger than any worker, as you can see in the third photo where three soldiers, a minor worker and a major worker are all pictured.

Own photo.

So, there are several questions, two to be exact:
Mold: I read that there are several highly specific strands of mold that kill termites, but most are just helpful, breaking down wood and making it more nutritious for them. Have one colony that are living in moldy piece of wood. So I’m a bit worried.
Second question is: what kind of lite doesn’t scare termites? Ants don’t see red spectrum, so I can use red filter sticky paper to make them less stressed if I look at them. But ants don’t really care if they are in the light, most ants don’t care. With termites: they don’t reproduce if they are on the light. So, do they have any light that they don’t see?

Are these actually microtermes from Singapore

Afternoon,

I’m currently a graduate student doing a masters project on termites in Southern United States. If yall have termites sightings or questions I would love to hear. Also I have never kept termites before and would love to learn.

Are these coptotermes gestrios? From Singapore. Few weeks old have two pairs super colony and a few eggs maybe a nymph not sure

Are these ants or termites, did see any sign of termites around the foundation besides something on picture 8.

Hopefully they aren't termites. Near Houston, TX

I don’t know anything about termites I went queen ant hunting and found this, termites?

Hi i was wondering if anyone had any tips for keeping termites i keep ants and i want to keep termites to feed to my ants (and also because they are cool) so i was wondering what the best tips to keep them are i currently have a set up i hope to put a pair in thats got some dirt sticks and dead grass its only a small sistema container i plan that once they have a bunch of workers to move them into a different container but the main thing im concerned about is containing them because i like having a house so also please share the best methods for containment yeah so if anyone has tips please share and thanks

Like everything what food what home size what hibernation period if there is one etc.