''Coptotermes lacteus'', the milk termite, is a species of

termite Termites are a group of detritivore, detritophagous Eusociality, eusocial cockroaches which consume a variety of Detritus, decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, Plant litter, leaf litter, and Humus, soil humus. They are dist ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Heterotermitidae Heterotermitidae, or the subterranean termites, is a family of termites that was elevated to family level from the subfamily '' Heterotermitinae'', formerly nested in ''Rhinotermitidae Rhinotermitidae, sensu novo are a family (biology), family ...

, native to Australia. These termites are

social insects 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 with ...

and build a communal nest in the form of a mound. From this, a network of galleries extends through the nearby soil, enabling the workers to forage in the surrounding area without emerging on the surface of the ground.

Description

Several species of termites are found in Australia and they are difficult to distinguish from one another. ''C. lacteus'' is most likely to be confused with '' C. acinaciformis'' or '' C. frenchi''. The soldiers of ''C. frenchi'' and ''C. lacteus'' have pear-shaped heads, while the heads of ''C. acinaciformis'' soldiers are more rectangular. ''C. lacteus'' soldiers at long are slightly smaller in size than the other two species.

Distribution and habitat

The mound nests of ''C. lacteus'' are smaller than those of the magnetic termite '' Amitermes meridionalis''. The outer layer is thick and hard and inside this is a hard mass of cemented soil particles and a central soft, papery nursery area where the queen and developing

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 ...

live.

Description

Distribution and habitat

References

Further reading