Biology
C. formosanus is a generalist, colonial, social insect building colonies either above or below ground (Howarth 1985) and produces naphthalene as a protective poison. Termites have a caste system including: a king, queen, workers, soldiers, and reproductives or alates (winged termites). The workers provide the food, soldiers defend the nest, and reproductives breed the colony. The queen of the colony has a life span of approximately 15 years and is capable of producing up to 2,000 eggs per day. The workers and soldiers may live 3–5 years with caste proportions of approximately 360 workers: 40 soldiers (Grace et al. 1996a). A colony is surrounded by an extensive foraging system consisting of tunnels underneath the ground, with a mature colony containing millions of termites (Tulane 2002, ARS 2002). Grace et al. (1995) found older and less vigorous colonies contained workers who had a larger body mass than workers in younger colonies. The diet of the subterranean termite consists of anything that contains wood fiber (homes, building, live trees), crops, and plants. Live trees include: Oak, Ash, and water-bound Cypress (ARS 2002). Crops include sugarcane (Broughton and Grace 1994).
Read more about this topic: Formosan Subterranean Termite
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