''Amitermes floridensis'', commonly known as the Florida darkwinged subterranean termite, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

eusocial Eusociality ( Greek 'good' and social) is the highest level of organization of sociality. It is defined by the following characteristics: cooperative brood care (including care of offspring from other individuals), overlapping generations wit ...

insect in the family

Termitidae Termitidae is the largest family of termites consisting of 2,125 described species of which are commonly known as the higher termites. They are evolutionarily the most specialised termite group, with their highly compartmentalized hindgut lackin ...

. It feeds on rotting wood, reached by a network of tunnels. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to west central

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

and was first described in 1989.

Taxonomy

During a survey of termites in Florida in the late twentieth century, a few winged specimens of an unidentified dark-winged termite in the family

were seen. This family contains around 1600 species but none had previously been found in the eastern United States. In 1988, swarms of these dark-winged termites were seen near the original location and further searches enabled workers of this species to be identified. The species was

formally described A species description is a formal scientific description of a newly encountered species, typically articulated through a scientific publication. Its purpose is to provide a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differ ...

in 1989 by the Florida entomologists Scheffrahn, Su, and Mangold; they named the new species ''Amitermes floridensis'' because it seemed to be restricted to the state of Florida.

Description

Workers are up to long. The thorax is constricted and the abdomen inflated, giving them a plump appearance. The head capsule is colourless and the abdomen transparent, so that the gut and its contents can be seen through the cuticle, giving them an overall greyish-colour. Soldiers are a similar size but the larger head capsule is pigmented and armed with black, crescent-shaped mandibles, each with a distinctive tooth on its inner surface.

Nymphs A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

develop in mature

colonies A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their '' metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often or ...

during the spring; these are larger than the workers, have wider thoraxes and have wing pads. These develop into

alate Alate (Latin ''ālātus'', from ''āla'' (“wing”)) is an adjective and noun used in entomology and botany to refer to something that has wings or winglike structures. In entomology In entomology, "alate" usually refers to the winged form of ...

s, winged males and females, which are dark brown, with bodies long and a total length with wings of . The wings are slender, with dark veins on the leading edge. The queen and king live deep below the ground but have not been observed in this species.

Distribution and habitat

The Florida darkwinged subterranean termite has only been found in west central Florida, particularly around

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

. Its range extends from

Tarpon Springs Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal point and underwent beautification in 2010. It is part of the Tampa Bay area. The population was 25,117 at the 2020 census. As of ...

in the north to Sebring in the east and Punta Gorda in the south. It lives in an underground colony with extensive foraging passages. Where these emerge onto the surface in feeding locations, the above-ground portions are quite short.

Ecology

The termite colony has subterranean chambers and extensive underground foraging passages, rotting timber being the main diet. This species does not form galleries inside timber, but forms tubes along the surface, grazing on the wood, but not rising far above the ground. These tubes have faecal matter incorporated into them and are black. Structures attacked include fallen logs, fence posts, tree trunks, sheds and porches. Winged reproductives emerge from the nest through special free-standing short "swarm tubes" during the day between July and September. Swarms often occur soon after rainfall, or even before the rain has stopped; the numbers of insects can be very large, resembling columns of smoke issuing from the ground. The insects are weak fliers and many get stuck to wet foliage, buildings or vehicles. Those that return to the ground form pairs and the female searches out a suitable location under a log, stone or debris, in which to start a colony. It may take several years before a colony is large enough to produce its own alates.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q13582636 Termites Endemic insects of the United States Endemic fauna of Florida Insects described in 1989